Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

2¾ cups finely ground almond flour

¾ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp baking soda

10 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup light brown sugar

½ granulated sugar

1 large egg

1½ tsp vanilla

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk the almond flour, salt and baking soda to combine.

Cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until very light, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and mix on medium speed to combine. Scrape the bowl well, then add the vanilla and mix to combine.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined, about 10 seconds. Scrape the bowl well and mix on low speed to ensure the mixture is homogeneous.

Add the chocolate chips and gently mix to incorporate it. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoons scoops and transfer them to prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. 

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020871-gluten-free-chocolate-chip-cookies

Strawberry Almond Flour Cake

4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

½ cup plus 2 tbsp sugar, divided

1 tsp vanilla

1¼ cups Almond flour

1 tbsp coconut flour*

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1½ to 2 cups sliced strawberries, for topping

*replace the 1 tbsp  coconut flour with ¼ cup almond flour, if desired (¼ cup replaces 1 tbsp, due to coconut flour's super absorbability)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8" round pan with melted butter. Swirl it inthe pan and make sure it goes up the sides. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of the sugar into the bottom of the pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar and the vanilla until smooth.

Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Slowly beat in the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Set aside.

Whisk together the dry ingredients - flours, baking powder and salt - and add to egg yolks. Stir together to form a thick dough.

Fold inthe egg whites, ½ cup at a time, incorporating them fully between each addition. The final addition shoudl result in  smooth, fluffy batter.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes, until it's golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the sides, then turn the cake out onto a serving plate

Allow the cake to cool fully before topping with sliced strawberries, or the fruit of your choice. 

Cranberry Orange Biscotti

4 tbsp butter, softened

½ cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp almond extract, optional

1¼ cups all purpose flour

¼ cup almond flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp orange zest

1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease (or line with parchment paper) one large baking sheet.

Add the butter and sugar to the bowl  of a stand up mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter and the sugar together until it is light and fluffy - about 1 minute on medium-high speed.

Next, add the eggs and vanilla (and almond extract, if using) and mix until well combined. Make sure to scrape the sides fo the bowl a few times so everything gets well mixed.

Add the flour, almond flour, and baking powder and mix just until no large lumps remain, make sure not to overmix! Add the orange zest and cranberries and gently fold them into the batter.

Transfer the batter to the baking sheet and pat it into an oval that is about 14" long, 3" wide and ½" thick. It helps to wet your hands - this is a sticky batter!

Bake the biscotti for 20-22 minutes, or until it is golden brown around the edges. Remove the biscotti from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.

Slice the biscotti into ½" slices and place them cut side up on the sheet pan. Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes, or until the biscotti are dry and golden brown.

Allow the biscotti to cool fully before transferring them to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Variations: Cranberry orange is perfect for the holiday season but you can easily adapt the flavors. Lemon and dried blueberries, or lime and dried strawberries are two great combinations. Get creative!

https://www.thecookierookie.com/cranberry-orange-biscotti/

Pumpkin Biscotti

4 tbsp butter, softened

⅔ cup sugar

1¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice

¾ tsp cinnamon 

1½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 large egg

½ cup pumpkin puree

2 cups all-purpose flour

course sparkling sugar or cinnamon & sugar, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease (or line with parchment paper) one large baking sheet.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the softened butter, sugar, spices, baking powder, and salt until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Beat in the egg and the pumpkin puree. At low speed, add flour, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky.

Scoop the dough on the prepared baking sheet. Divide it in half, and shape it into two 10" x 2½" logs. Pat the logs into long rectangles and smooth their tops and sides; a wet spatula works well. If desired, sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar or cinnamon & sugar, pressing it in gently.

Bake the dough for 25 minutes, remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Wait 5 minutes, then use a sharp chef's knife or serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into ½" to ¾" slices. Be sure to cut straight up and down, perpendicular to the pan; if you cut unevenly, biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they will topple over during the second bake. 

Set the biscotti on the edge on the prepared baking sheet. Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 40 to 50 minutes, until they're starting to turn golden brown around the edges. They'll still feel quite soft in the middle. Turn off the oven, crack the door a couple inches, and let the biscotti cool right in the oven.

Remove the biscotti from the oven when they're completely cool. Store airtight at t room temperature for several days, or freeze, well-wrapped, for longer storage.

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/pumpkin-biscotti-recipe

Glazed Lemon Sour Cream Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1½ cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tbsp lemon zest

½ tsp vanilla extract

Glaze:

2½ tsp cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp cream cheese, softened well

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until slightly fluffy. Blend in the eggs one a a time. Mix in sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla. Add flour mixture until combined.

Cover bowl and chill dough in refrigerator until dough is more firm and easier to work with, about 1 hour (it will still be fairly sticky).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees during last 10 minutes of dough chilling. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Drop dough by the rounded tablespoon on to prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake both sheets in preheated oven, switching and rotating them halfway through baking, until bottom edges are golden and cookies are set - about 14-15 minutes.

Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

For the glaze, in a mixing bowl blend together cream cheese and lemon juice. Mix in powdered sugar stirring until smooth.

Set a baking sheet underneath cookies on rack, then spoon glaze over cooled cookies  and let glaze set at t room temperature. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Recipe from www.cookingclassy.com

French Toast Cookies

¾ cup butter, softened

¾ cup sugar, divided

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

⅓ cup  corn syrup

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp maple flavoring

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat (or white whole wheat) flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

In a large bowl, cream butter, ½ cup sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, corn syrup, vanilla and flavoring. In another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, until firm enough to shape, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place remaining sugar in a shallow bowl. Shape dough into  1¾-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until edges are golden-brown, 11-13 minutes.  Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. 

Yield: 18 cookies.

Mountain Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

½ tsp salt

Filling:

3 ounces cream cheese

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup finely chopped pecans

½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Topping:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp water

½ cup confectioners sugar

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Shape into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Make a deep indentation in the center of each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees until the edges just start to brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For the filling, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla until smooth. Add pecans and coconut. Spoon ½ tsp into each cookie.

For topping, in a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and butter with water; stir until smooth. Stir in sugar. Drizzle over cookies.