Mock Oreo Cookies

I haven't made these in awhile, but someone was asking me for the recipe the other day, so I thought I'd share.

Mock Oreo Cookies
from 'The Gluten-Free Gourmet Makes Dessert' by Bette Hagman


DOUGH:
2 1/4 c. Featherlight Mix 1 egg
1 scant tsp xanthan gum 1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp Egg Replacer 1-2 Tbsp milk or nondairy substitute (*3 Tbsp hemp milk)
2/3 c cocoa
1 tsp baking powder 

FILLING:
1 tsp baking soda 2 c. confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp salt 3 Tbsp shortening
3/4 c. margarine (*shortening) 1/4 tsp vanilla
1 c. sugar 2 Tbsp hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour mix, xanthan gum, Egg Replacer, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, cream the margarine and sugar until light. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions. If the dough becomes too stiff, add the milk as needed. Shape the dough into two 10: x 1 1/2" rolls. Wrap in foil and chill. Cut into 1/8" slices and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10 minutes. (*I had better luck rolling the dough out and using a small cookie cutter.) Let cool for only a few minutes before removing from the cookie sheet. Cool thoroughly on a rack.

For the filling, combine the confectioners' sugar, shortening, vanilla, and hot water (use enough to create a good spreading texture). (*I made it quite thick, so it could be rolled into little balls and flattened onto the cookie.)

Makes about 45 filled cookies.

*notes added by Raechel Medina

Fresh from the oven - Cashew Cookies

Last week, during the flurry of end-of-the-year school parties, J had an "Amigos Party", to celebrate the end of their studies of Central and South America.  They were asked to bring food representing these areas.  Scouring the web, I found a recipe for Brazilian Cashew Cookies, which sounded tasty, so I gave them a try.

3/4 c. raw cashews (3 1/2 oz.)
1/2 c. Featherlight Flour Mix
1/3 c. corn starch
6 Tbsp. Spectrum shortening
1/4 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp xanthan gum

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grind 1/2 cup of the cashews in a food processor to flour, being careful not to turn them into cashew butter.  Spread nut flour on baking sheet and toast for 6-8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.  Cool completely.

Mix flour, cornstarch and xanthan gum, set aside.  In another bowl, beat shortening and sugar for 3 minutes.  Add toasted nut flour and salt.  Mix.  Reduce to low speed and add flour mixture.

Form dough into rectangular block and roll out between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a 10"x8" rectangle.  Chill dough 10 minutes.

Coarsely chop remaining nuts.  Sprinkle on cookies.  Bake until golden, 14-16 minutes.  Remove and cool.

My notes: Since this was for a class party, I rolled the dough into logs (I made a quadruple batch), in plastic wrap, then chilled and sliced into rounds.  The cookies were very crumbly after they were baked and I thought they were a flop.  Left them on the trays overnight, though, and the texture improved, although still crumbly.  The taste was a hit with everyone.