Gluten Free Baby Jesus Gingerbread Cookies

Recipe adapted from food,com

2 cups gluten free flour mix - see recipe below

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

dash nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

1 egg

1/2 cup butter - for dairy free use Earth Balance non homogenized margaring

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup coconut sugar

Nativity scene or baby Jesus cookie cutter or cookie cutter of your choice

Gluten Free Buttercream frosting - see recipe below

Gluten Free flour mix: 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup white rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, 1/2 cup Potato starch, 1 Tb. xanthan gum. Mix together in a large jar or gallon size ziplock bag. Use in recipes called for regular flour. Yield 3 cups

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. 

Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add molasses and egg. Gradually add dry ingredients mixing to incorporate. Divide dough in half. Place half in the refrigerator for 1 hour or in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. 

 Place half of the dough on a brown rice covered surface and roll out until 1/4 inch thick.Cut with cookie cutter. Place 1/4 inch apart on greased cookie sheet.Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges. Remove pan from oven and let cookies cool for a couple minutes. Remove to cooling rack. Repeat with other half of dough. Let cookies cool  half hour to an hour before decorating.

Gluten Free Buttercream Frosting:

1/2 cup butter - for dairy free use Earth Balance dairy free, non homogenized margarine

1/2 cup palm shortening

1 lb  (3 1/2 cups) powdered sugar

1 tsp McCormick vanilla flavoring

1/2 tsp McCormick almond flavoring

2 Tb milk - for dairy free use almond milk

Directions: 

Using the flat blade of your mixer, mix together butter and shortening. Add vanilla, almond, and milk. Mix on low until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar. Continue to mix on low, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Turn mixer on medium and mix for 2 minutes. 

Decorate the cookies: 

Manger:

Color 1/4 cup frosting light yellow for hay  and 1/4 cup brown for the outline. Frost the bottom half of the manger yellow. Smooth frosting out using a finger dipped in water. Using a decorating bag with brown frosting and a number 4 tip draw lines on top of the yellow frosting.

Baby Jesus:

Color 1/4 cup frosting light pink for the babies face. Using a decorating bag rill with frosting and a number 3 or 4 tip frost the face of the cookie. Smooth out with a wet finger. 

With the brown frosting change the tip to a number 2 and make the hair, eyes, nose, and mouth.

Fill another bag with white frosting and using a number 4 tip make the baby blanket.

Makes 40 baby Jesus. These are cute put on top of cupcakes like the picture below. You can find the cupcake recipe by clicking here. http://glutenfreetraining.blogspot.com/2013/12/gluten-free-hawaiian-cupcakes-with.html