12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Day 8 -- Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

When I sent out my call for Christmas cookies, a friend of mine requested a gluten free cookie recipe.  I've never eaten anything gluten free.  I was skeptical.  But, I decided to try my best to find a delicious gluten free recipe.  That was quite the challenge.  I found few recipes that looked appetizing, and the ones I did find looked pretty complicated or impractical.  This recipe is one that looked simple and easy.  And, everybody like sugar cookies, so it should appeal to the masses, right? 


I was very surprised by how tasty these cookies came out.  The recipe uses a cake mix, but these taste just like the real deal sugar cookie.  And, it's super simple.  How awesome is that!?!  I will admit that the texture of these cookies is different than the "normal" sugar cookie, but it didn't inhibit my enjoyment of the cookie, which says a lot because I have serious food texture issues.  The texture is more crumbly than the "normal" sugar cookie (or any cookie that I've encountered, really).  But it really didn't affect my enjoyment of the cookies. 


Source: Betty Crocker


Here's what you need:
1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 cup Butter, softened
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Egg
Colored Sugar


Here's what you do:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2.  Stir all ingredients together, except colored sugar. 
3.  Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and roll the balls through the colored sugar to coat. 
4.  Bake for about 9 minutes.
5.  Remove from baking sheet to cooling rack upon removal from oven.


Hint:  You can make your own colored sugar if you don't want to buy it.  Just put some white sugar in a bowl and add a few drops of food coloring.  Stir well.  Continuing adding food coloring and stirring until the sugar reaches the desired shade. 


Enjoy!

Fruit Pizza

I love this dessert.  It's great for the summer time when all the fruit is luscious and in season.  The "sauce" is made of cream cheese, which gives it just a bit of tang.  You can customize it with whatever fruit meets your fancy (or whatever happens to be in season).  Then, you just cut it up into slices like a pizza!  It's easy to make and easy to eat.  Plus, it has fruit on top, so it's got to be healthy, right?

I do have a confession to make before we get any further.  Sometimes, I don't make everything from scratch.  *GASP*  This is one of those times.  The crust of this pizza is just like one massive sugar cookie.  I didn't have time to make sugar cookie dough from scratch, so I used a Krusteaz mix.  They were ah.maz.ing.  Seriously, I'm considering not making sugar cookies from scratch this Christmas.  But, don't tell anybody . . .

Here's what I used:
1 Batch of Krusteaz Sugar Cookie Mix
1 Package of Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tsp Vanilla
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
Various Fruit, cleaned and sliced

Here's what I did: 
1.  Made the Krusteaz Sugar Cookie Mix as directed.  Placed in a large round pan and baked as directed. 

     *Hint:  Obviously, the folks who wrote the instructions for making the cookie mix didn't 
      anticipate that you would be making one massive sugar cookie.  So bake as directed,
      except as to the time directed.  You're going to have to keep an eye on the cookie
      and take it out when it's golden brown.*

2.  After the crust is baked, set it to side to cool.

3.  Mix the cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar.  Set it to the side.

4.  Clean and cut up your fruit toppings.  Put each type of fruit in a separate bowl for topping the pizza.

5.  Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the filling.

6.  Top the pizza with your fruit toppings.

7.  Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

8.  Cut into pizza slices.

Enjoy!