GLUTEN FREE DANISH NAPOLEON HAT COOKIES

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     I first had these cookies as a teenager when I lived in Denmark for five months.  They are a vanilla cookie folded around a ball of marzipan and, after baking, the bottom is dipped in chocolate.  The way they are folded into a triangle looks like an old fashioned hat (like what we call a tri corner colonial type hat).  Napoleon Hats look very much like a Hamantashen. They are typically sold at bakeries, but this is a recipe for making them at home. 

     Every year I like to make one new recipe along with some of my favorite cookie recipes.  I found a recipe for the Napoleon hats on My DanishKitchen’s blog and converted it into a GF version.

     It takes a bit more work than the typical cookie, but it is so worth the effort.  I left some plain, but dipped most in the chocolate.  Everyone loved these.  If you like marzipan, you will love these cookies too. 

     The dough needs to be chilled really well as it gets soft when working with it.  I rolled it and cut out shapes and then chilled the dough before removing the cut out circles of dough to the parchment paper lined baking sheets.  I then filled and shaped the dough circles on the cookie sheet.  I again chilled the dough until firm before baking the cookies so that they would flatten out less while baking.  The wheat version has edges that stand up pretty high.  I was not able to recreate the height in the GF version, but the taste is wonderful!  Enjoy!

GLUTEN FREE DANISH NAPOLEON HAT COOKIES

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS

COOKIES

½ cup	Sorghum Flour
¼ cup	Tapioca Flour
¼ cup	Chickpea Flour
½ tsp	Xanthan Gum
¼ tsp	Himalayan Sea Salt
⅔ cups	Powdered Sugar - measured after sifting
1 large	Egg Yolk
1 - 3 tsp	Cold Water

FILLING

6 oz.	GF Marzipan
¼ cup	Sugar
1 large	Egg White

CHOCOLATE COATING

5 oz.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate

DIRECTIONS

1)     In a large bowl add the flours and xanthan gum and mix well.  Break up the butter into small pieces and mix into the flour with your fingers or a fork. 

2)    Add the egg yolk and mix together until smooth.  If too dry add water 1 tsp. at a time until a smooth dough forms.  Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

The ball of dough.

3)    Preheat the oven to 400℉.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat pads and set aside.

4)    Roll the dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap.  It should be about ¼ inch thick. 

5)    Use a cookie or biscuit cutter or a glass that is 2 ½ inches in diameter to cut out circles of dough.  My dough got too soft to move the cut outs easily so I chilled the circles before moving them to a cookie sheet.

6)    Mix the marzipan, sugar and egg white.  Divide the marzipan into enough pieces to have one per cookie circle.  Roll the marzipan into a ball or, if too soft, use a small scoop to place a ball on the center of each dough circle.

Scooping out the marzipan.

7)    Fold the circle up to form a triangle around the marzipan dough, squeezing each the three corners together with your fingers to keep the dough together and form a ‘hat’.

The circle folded around the ball of marzipan to form a tri fold "hat".

One baking sheet of raw Napoleon Hats.

8)    Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned.  Make sure the cookies are completely cool before the next step.

Baked cookies.

9)    Melt the chocolate over a hot water bath.  Dip the bottom, and each corner in the chocolate and place the cookie, chocolate bottom up on a parchment or wax paper to set and dry.

Melted chocolate ready for the cookies to be dipped into it.

Cookies with the bottoms dipped in chocolate.
Waiting for the chocolate to set and dry before storing.

10) Store cookies in wax paper lined tins or an airtight plastic container. 

GLUTEN FREE DANISH NAPOLEON HAT COOKIES Makes about 2 dozen cookies GlutenFreeBakingBear.com INGREDIENTS COOKIES ½ cup Sorghum Flour ¼ cup Tapioca Flour ¼ cup Chickpea Flour ½ tsp Xanthan Gum ¼ tsp Himalayan Sea Salt ⅔ cups Powdered Sugar - measured after sifting 1 large Egg Yolk 1 - 3 tsp Cold Water FILLING 6 oz. GF Marzipan ¼ cup Sugar 1 large Egg White CHOCOLATE COATING 5 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate DIRECTIONS 1) In a large bowl add the flours and xanthan gum and mix well. Break up the butter into small pieces and mix into the flour with your fingers or a fork. 2) Add the egg yolk and mix together until smooth. If too dry add water 1 tsp. at a time until a smooth dough forms. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 3) Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat pads and set aside. 4) Roll the dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap. It should be about ¼ inch thick. 5) Use a cookie or biscuit cutter or a glass that is 2 ½ inches in diameter to cut out circles of dough. My dough got too soft to move the cut outs easily so I chilled the circles before moving them to a cookie sheet. 6) Mix the marzipan, sugar and egg white. Divide the marzipan into enough pieces to have one per cookie circle. Roll the marzipan into a ball or, if too soft, use a small scoop to place a ball on the center of each dough circle. 7) Fold the circle up to form a triangle around the marzipan dough, squeezing each the three corners together with your fingers to keep the dough together and form a ‘hat’. 8) Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Make sure the cookies are completely cool before the next step. 9) Melt the chocolate over a hot water bath. Dip the bottom, and each corner in the chocolate and place the cookie, chocolate bottom up on a parchment or wax paper to set and dry. 10) Store cookies in wax paper lined tins or an airtight plastic container.

GLUTEN FREE GINGERBREAD DOUGH FOR HOUSES & COOKIES

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     I decided to make a GF Gingerbread House this year.  I had never made one before from scratch.   I used to buy the ready made kits (before I learned that I could not eat wheat), but I have not seen any gluten free ones yet.  I never made any gingerbread before.  I found a recipe on food.com that had great reviews so I converted it to a gluten free recipe. 

     I love this recipe for several reasons.  It tastes and smells great.  The dough is super easy to work with.  It does not stick to you or anything else.  You do not have to chill or allow the dough to rest, just make it and it is ready to use.  The baked cookies and house parts were very sturdy and easy to form into a house.

     I think I made my dough a bit thicker than the ¼-inch.  The cookies were sturdy with a soft not crispy bite.  If you like crunchy cookies make sure you roll the dough thin enough and or bake them a bit longer until they are to your liking (but be careful not to burn them).

     I suggest that you watch a video on Youtube on how to construct a gingerbread house before you start to put the house together.  This was my first try and I was so happy that I watched the video first or my house would have been very lopsided.  As it was I waited to watch the video until after I baked the cookies and cut outs.  I had already put windows on the roof (hidden by icing) and roof tiles on the sides of the house (that look like stonework of sorts) and then had to made icing windows. I had no idea how fancy some of those houses could be.  I got some ideas from the videos and made icing icicles along the roof.  The possibilities are endless.  Just have fun.

GLUTEN FREE GINGERBREAD DOUGH FOR HOUSES & COOKIES

Makes one house (6”x5”x6”) and about 12  2-inch men

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups	Sorghum Flour
1 cup	Tapioca Flour
½ cup	Chickpea Flour
½ cup	Coconut Flour
¾ tsp	Xanthan Gum
2 tsp	Baking Soda
1 ½ tsp	Ground Ginger
1 tsp	Allspice
1 tsp	Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp	Ground Cloves
1/2 cup	Butter or Margarine If using unsalted butter add ¼ tsp sea salt
1 large	Egg
1/2 cup	Sugar
1/2 cup	Unsulphured Molasses

DIRECTIONS

1)     In a medium bowl add the flours & xanthan gum and mix well.  Set aside.

2)    In a 5 quart saucepan heat the sugar, molasses & spices to boiling, while stirring occasionally.

Molasses, sugar and spices getting mixed and heated on the stove.

Molasses mixture starting to boil.

3)    Remove from the heat and add the baking soda.  It will foam up and then subside.

Molasses mixture off of the heat after the baking soda was added.
Note how it foamed up.

4)    Stir in the butter or margarine until melted.

5)    With a fork stir in the egg.

Molasses mixture after butter was mixed in with egg ready to be mixed in.

6)    Then add the flour and stir in.  Knead the flour in until the dough is smooth and well mixed.

Mixing the flour into the molasses mixture.

Kneading the flour into the dough on a silicone cutting board.

Dough with all the flour kneaded in until smooth.

7)    Preheat the oven to 325 ℉.  Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.  Set aside.

8)    Divide the dough in half.  Wrap ½ in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.

Dough cut in half with one half wrapped in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out,

9)    With a rolling pin roll out the other half of the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap until it is about ¼ inch thick.

Rolling out the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap.

10) Cut the dough with cookie cutters or use a pattern to cut out the dough with a knife to make a house.  Carefully transfer the cut outs to the baking sheet.  If you want perfectly straight edges on the house you can cut the dough out on the baking sheet and remove the excess dough or roll out the dough on a baking sheet and freeze it until hard before removing the cut outs to the prepared pans. The dough will stretch out a bit when you move it unless it is frozen.

Dough cut out and transferred to the baking sheet.

I used the Wilton Gingerbread House cookie cutters to make the house shapes.

11) Bake at 325 ℉ for 12 minutes.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Cut outs after baking. 

Cut outs after baking.

GLUTEN FREE GINGERBREAD DOUGH FOR HOUSES & COOKIES Makes one house (6”x5”x6”) and about 12 2-inch men INGREDIENTS 1 ½ cups Sorghum Flour 1 cup Tapioca Flour ½ cup Chickpea Flour ½ cup Coconut Flour ¾ tsp Xanthan Gum 2 tsp Baking Soda 1 ½ tsp Ground Ginger 1 tsp Allspice 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon 1 tsp Ground Cloves ½ cup Butter or Margarine If using unsalted butter add ¼ tsp sea salt 1 large Egg ½ cup Sugar ½ cup Unsulphured Molasses DIRECTIONS In a medium bowl add the flours & xanthan gum and mix well. Set aside. In a 5 quart saucepan heat the sugar, molasses & spices to boiling, while stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the baking soda. It will foam up and then subside. Stir in the butter or margarine until melted. With a fork stir in the egg. Then add the flour and stir in. Knead the flour in until the dough is smooth and well mixed. Preheat the oven to 325 ℉. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Set aside. Divide the dough in half. Wrap ½ in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. With a rolling pin roll out the other half of the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap until it is about ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough with cookie cutters or use a pattern to cut out the dough with a knife to make a house. Carefully transfer the cut outs to the baking sheet. If you want perfectly straight edges on the house you can cut the dough out on the baking sheet and remove the excess dough or roll out the dough on a baking sheet and freeze it until hard before removing the cut outs to the prepared pans. The dough will stretch out a bit when you move it unless it is frozen. Bake at 325 ℉ for 12 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

GLUTEN FREE PEAR GINGERBREAD ROLL CAKE

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     Wow!  This cake is so delicious!  The perfectly spiced gingerbread cake has a to die for spiced whipped cream and pear filling. It is a sophisticated cake that makes a nice presentation. Perfect to serve for Holiday dessert.

     I adapted the Taste of Home recipe into a gluten free version.  The cake texture is perfect, but it did crack when unrolled.  When filled and rolled back up the cracks were barely noticeable and the cake still looked lovely.  This recipe is a keeper.

     GLUTEN FREE PEAR GINGERBREAD ROLL CAKE

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

3 large	Eggs
3 large	Egg Yolks
⅔ cup	Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice)
2 Tbs.	Unsalted Butter - melted
2 Tbs.	Molasses
½ cup	Sorghum Flour
¼ cup	Tapioca Flour
2 Tbs.	Chickpea Flour
2 Tbs.	Coconut Flour
½ tsp.	Xanthan Gum
1 ¼ tsp.	Baking Powder
1 tsp.	Ground Ginger
1 tsp.	Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp.	Ground Allspice
2 Tbs.	Confectioner’s Sugar - to sprinkle on the dish towel

FILLING

2 medium	Pears - peeled, cored and finely chopped
1 Tbs.	Unsalted Butter
1 tsp.	Sugar
1 tsp.	Vanilla Extract
pinch	Ground Cinnamon
pinch	Ground Ginger
1 cup	Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tbs.	Confectioner’s Sugar
½ tsp.	Ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp.	Ground Ginger

DIRECTIONS

1)    Preheat the oven to 375℉.  Prepare a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan by lining it with foil and then greasing the foil well with butter.  Set aside.  Spread a dish towel (not the fuzzy kind) out flat on the counter and sprinkle the 2 Tbs. of confectioners sugar evenly over the towel.

Jelly roll pan lined with foil and greased well.

2)    In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer beat the eggs and egg yolks with the ⅔ cups sugar for about 5 minutes or until they become thick and pale yellow in color.

Eggs and sugar beaten until thick and pale yellow.

3)    Add the butter and molasses and mix in.

4)    In a separate bowl add the flours, xanthan gum, spices and baking powder and mix well.

5)    FOLD the flour mixture into the egg mixture using a large  silicone spatula.  It should be folded in and not mixed in to add volume and lightness to the cake.

Batter after flour has been folded into the egg mixture.

6)    Spread the batter evenly into the prepared jelly roll cake pan.

Batter in the pan.

7)    Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the center springs back when touched lightly with a finger.

8)    Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes and then turn it out onto the prepared dish towel.

9)    Remove the foil carefully.  Beginning at the short end roll up the cake in the towel.  Set the cake rolled in the towel on a rack (with the seam side down) to cool completely.

10) While the cake is cooling make the filling.

11) Peel, core and chop the pears.

Pears, peeled cored and chopped.

12) Heat a small skillet on medium heat and melt the butter.  Sauté the pears in the butter until tender.  While they are cooking add the tsp. of sugar and the pinch of cinnamon and ginger to the pears. Stir frequently allowing the excess liquid to evaporate.  When done, remove the pan from the stove and stir in the vanilla.  Cool the pears completely before using in the recipe.

Sautéd pears.

13) In a large bowl beat the whipped cream, 2 Tbs. confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon and ginger and beat on high until stiff peaks form.

14) When the pears are completely cooled fold them into the whipped cream.

Whipped cream with pears added.

Whipped cream after folding in the pears.

15) Unroll the cake.  Spread the filling evenly over the cake leaving a ½ inch border around the edges.  Roll up the cake (without the towel) and place seam side down on a serving platter.  You can trim the ends with a knife to make a nicer presentation (and give the baker a treat).

The cake cracked when unrolled, but held together when filled and rerolled.

Filling spread onto the cake leaving a ½ inch border.

Cake after rerolling.

Ends were trimmed with a serrated knife for a nicer presentation.

16) Optional - sprinkle the cake with confectioner’s sugar.

17) Refrigerate the cake for an hour before serving to allow it to firm up.  Slice and enjoy.  Wrap and refrigerate left overs.  You can also freeze leftover slices and thaw before serving.

GLUTEN FREE PEAR GINGERBREAD ROLL CAKE GlutenFreeBakingBear.com INGREDIENTS CAKE 3 large Eggs 3 large Egg Yolks ⅔ cup Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice) 2 Tbs. Unsalted Butter - melted 2 Tbs. Molasses ½ cup Sorghum Flour ¼ cup Tapioca Flour 2 Tbs. Chickpea Flour 2 Tbs. Coconut Flour ½ tsp. Xanthan Gum 1 ¼ tsp. Baking Powder 1 tsp. Ground Ginger 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon 1 tsp. Ground Allspice 2 Tbs. Confectioner’s Sugar - to sprinkle on the dish towel FILLING 2 medium Pears - peeled, cored and finely chopped 1 Tbs. Unsalted Butter 1 tsp. Sugar 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract pinch Ground Cinnamon pinch Ground Ginger 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream 2 Tbs. Confectioner’s Sugar ½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon ¼ tsp. Ground Ginger DIRECTIONS 1) Preheat the oven to 375℉. Prepare a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan by lining it with foil and then greasing the foil well with butter. Set aside. Spread a dish towel (not the fuzzy kind) out flat on the counter and sprinkle the 2 Tbs. of confectioners sugar evenly over the towel. 2) In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer beat the eggs and egg yolks with the ⅔ cups sugar for about 5 minutes or until they become thick and pale yellow in color. 3) Add the butter and molasses and mix in. 4) In a separate bowl add the flours, xanthan gum, spices and baking powder and mix well. 5) FOLD the flour mixture into the egg mixture using a large silicone spatula. It should be folded in and not mixed in to add volume and lightness to the cake. 6) Spread the batter evenly into the prepared jelly roll cake pan. 7) Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the center springs back when touched lightly with a finger. 8) Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes and then turn it out onto the prepared dish towel. 9) Remove the foil carefully. Beginning at the short end roll up the cake in the towel. Set the cake rolled in the towel on a rack (with the seam side down) to cool completely. 10) While the cake is cooling make the filling. 11) Peel, core and chop the pears. 12) Heat a small skillet on medium heat and melt the butter. Sauté the pears in the butter until tender. While they are cooking add the tsp. of sugar and the pinch of cinnamon and ginger to the pears. Stir frequently allowing the excess liquid to evaporate. When done, remove the pan from the stove and stir in the vanilla. Cool the pears completely before using in the rec-ipe. 13) In a large bowl beat the whipped cream, 2 Tbs. confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon and ginger and beat on high until stiff peaks form. 14) When the pears are completely cooled fold them into the whipped cream. 15) Unroll the cake. Spread the filling evenly over the cake leaving a ½ inch border around the edges. Roll up the cake (without the towel) and place seam side down on a serving platter. You can trim the ends with a knife to make a nicer presentation (and give the baker a treat). 16) Optional - sprinkle the cake with confectioner’s sugar. 17) Refrigerate the cake for an hour before serving to allow it to firm up. Slice and enjoy. Wrap and refrigerate left overs. You can also freeze leftover slices and thaw before serving.