Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

This cookie recipe is one I bake with my family every year leading up to Christmas. It is the main cookie the kids leave out for Santa. They don't fall apart and are easy to decorate. It is adapted from Raising Generation Nourished, a fabulous website for good nutrient dense whole food cooking and baking.

Another tip for baking with kids: split the baking into 2 days. Either make and chill overnight so you can bake and decorate the next day OR make and bake and then decorate the next day. Everyone is happier :)

1 cup softened butter

1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp molasses

3/4 cup coconut sugar (you can use cane sugar or white sugar as well but the coconut sugar just deepens the flavours and the colour of the cookies)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups tapioca flour

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup white rice flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp xanthum gum

1. Cream the butter, molasses, and sugar with hand beaters.

2. Add the egg and beat through until all is combined well.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine with spatula.

4. Let the dough chill for an hour in the fridge. This is where I usually chill overnight because I am baking with the kids. The next day we will bake, cool, and decorate.

5. Knead the dough with your warm hands to make it pliable, roll out onto a rice floured surface, cut out your shapes, and place the gingerbread cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. The cookies are sturdier to decorate, especially when doing with kids!

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.