The Sugar Cookie Wars - Sugar or No Sugar - Halloween with Homeschoolers

It's time for school parties, farms and pumpkin patches and as usual I take on the task of making the Gluten-Free sugar cookies for my daughter's homeschool programs. I've love making paleo sugar cookies, and sometimes the kids look and sniff the goodies I bring to school, but do not try them because they don't look like what they expect. I get it, I'm not the most amazing pastry chef in the world, but I am innovative by any means. I bought a package of the Pamela's Sugar Cookies - but they really are just gluten-free flour and powdered sugar. And the powdered sugar contains corn. Corn is an allergen in my family, as well as others at school so I still had to make my own. The Pamela's cookies I did take out the butter, and instead used the equivalent in coconut oil (8 tbsp) and then 1 tbsp of the Earth Balance Soy-free Vegan Butter. I was told by one mom that it was the best sugar cookie she's every had, and she won't go back to those made with gluten again.

The Paleo Sugar Cookies for Halloween 

Next up was my own cookies. I used the Paleo Parents Not Sugar Cookies as a base design, but I changed a few items. I did add in a about 1/2 cup additional of coconut flour because when I "poured" it out to roll into a log, it really was POURING out. I also added in lemon essential oil because the dough really was bland.



Not Sugar Cookies MODIFED from the Paleo Parents - http://paleoparents.com/2011/not-sugar-cookies-for-the-nut-free-school-dilemma/
Tree Nut Free, Peanut Free, Grain Free (contains eggs but you can use the FYH VeganEgg as a sub)

Ingredients:
1 C fresh, Organic pitted dates
1/3 C extra virgin coconut oil
1/3 C Specturm palm shortening
4 Pastured eggs (see sub above)
1/2 tbsp Soy-Free Vegenaise
1 Tbsp pure vanilla
6 drops lemon essential oil
1 1/2  C organic coconut flour

Directions:
1. In food processor or blender, puree the dates and shortening into a paste. The food processor is easier in my book. The Vitamix wasn't the best first choice.
2. Add eggs, vanilla, essential oils, vegenaise and coconut oil to date paste and pulse until combined
3. Add /1 cup flour and pulse, continue to add up from the 1/2 cup until a thick dough starts to form.
4. Place extra coconut flour spinkles on whatever you are going to roll your dough log into to reduce sticking.
5. Pour dough onto wrap and roll into a nice sized sugar cookie log. Place in the freezer for about an hour to harden.
6. When hard enough you can slice off 1/4" thick slices of cookies and place them on a parchment paper on your baking sheet.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 18 minutes (until edges start to turn golden brown).

If the kids use a frosting on top, the moistness of the cookie is just right and they'll be thrilled. My daughter through they were the best cookies, and that is all that matters, right? Plus I didn't have to bring full bins of cookies home, so they were a big hit! The Harvest Party was a blast.

Happy Halloween & Harvest Love!!  ~ Barbara