ere are two recipes that I like. Hope you have success with them! Chocolate Cut Out Cookies Cookie type: cut outs This is another recipe from www.cookierecipe.com. The recipe was submitted by Robin J. The cookies will puff up slightly. The recipe makes about 6 dozen cookies depending on the cookie cutter. Ingredients 1 cup butter or margarine 2 cups white sugar 3 eggs 2 teas vanilla 3 cups flour 1 teas baking powder 10 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder Directions Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add eggs, beating well. Mix in vanilla. Combine flour cocoa powder and baking powder, add to cream mixture. Mix well. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough in half. Roll out each half to ¼ inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Decorate. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Decorate. Cut-Out Chocolate Cookies Cookie Type: Cut-out This is another recipe out of HersheyÂs Best-Loved recipes. Good texture and taste. It makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on the size of your cookie cutters. Ingredients ½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened ¾ cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 ½ cups flour 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt Directions: Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in a large bowl until and fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture, blending well. Chill dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to roll. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. On a lightly floured board or between 2 pieces of wax paper roll a small portion of the dough at a time to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters; place on an ungreased sheet. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until no indentations remain when touched lightly. Cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet onto wire racks. Coo completely, decorate as desired. Hints, Tips, Tricks and How to Cheat: I found that the dough cracked when I tried to roll it out after chilling. The dough needs to be at room temperature. The cookies also needed a longer baking period 8-9 minutes. Also, I found that if you roll the dough on a silicone mat that is floured, then cut out the cookies, it makes it easier to get the cookies onto the baking sheet.

Baking gluten-free is a challenge and also expensive. The flours can cost 10 times that of AP flour ($5.50 vs 55c per pound) and many recipes call for ground nuts that start at $8 per pound. I do have a great TNT cookie recipe that uses no flour and has no dairy (casein free): Nancedar GFCF Peanut Butter Cookies Makes about 3 dozen 2 large eggs 1 1/4 C sugar 2 t baking soda 1 t pure vanilla extract Beat together using a stand or hand mixer. 1 C creamy peanut butter 1 C crunchy peanut butter Beat into the bowl with the wet ingredients on low. Do not over mix or they will be grainy. Let sit for 1 hour at room temperature. Use a small scoop to form balls, put on parchment paper covered baking sheets, flatten slightly with crisscross of a fork. Bake in preheated 350F oven for 6 minutes, reverse the sheets, and bake for another 4 to 6 minutes. Let sit on the sheets for 5 minutes then remove to cooling racks. Store airtight (doubled plastic bags). I sometimes add 1/2 C to 3/4 C chocolate chips for Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter cookies but you must check the ingredients list to be sure there are no milk solids if you want them to remain dairy/casein free. Toll House does have milk. Nancy

There are a lot of great gluten-free cookie recipes. The simple FLOURLESS PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE recipe is probably the first one that comes to mind. 1 c. peanut butter 1 c. sugar 1 egg Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine ingredients and drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool. Recipe doesn't make very many, so you could double recipe. Drizzle the top of these cookies with melted chocolate chips and/or chopped peanuts. You will find variations of this recipe. My version of this recipe has less total sugar from a low\-glycemic sugar, more fiber (almond and hi\-maize flour) and the cookies looks more like a traditional peanut butter cookie because I can press the dough with a fork (or potato masher) for that traditional hatch mark. 1 c. peanut butter (smooth) 1/3 c. palm sugar 1 egg 4 T. almond flour 2 T. hi\-maize flour 1 t. soda ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you want to venture into using almond flour and coconut flour, you will have a much larger variety and more traditional recipes. You can make both almond flour and coconut flour yourself to save some money. I make almond flour by making almond milk first, and the pulp left from the process is dried (I use my dehydrator), then I pulse it in my mini\-food processor to make a fine grind. To make coconut flour, use unsweetened coconut and blend it fine in a food processor or blender (be careful not to over\-blend it or you will get coconut butter). You can find more detailed instructions on\-line. If you purchase these ingredients, I'd suggest Honeyville Farms (honeyville.com) for almond flour (both blanched or unblanched \- they work the same in recipes \- and I make both blanched and unblanched at home) and Tropical Traditions (tropicaltraditions.com) for coconut flour. I think those two brands are superior to other brands. For almond flour based recipes: Elena's Pantry \- http://www.elanaspantry.com/ For coconut flour based recipes: Tropical Traitions \- http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_coconut_flour.htm I try to stay away from recipes that get fussy with a large number of gluten\-free flours and starches, or pre\-packaged gluten\-free baking mixes, because they tend to be high\-glycemic (raise blood sugar) and more expensive to make. As another option, there are a lot of gluten\-free mixes available if you don't mind the cost and don't want to purchase a lot of gluten\-free ingredients you normally wouldn't use. Even Wal\-Mart is now carrying all kinds of gluten\-free mixes. SUPER SIMPLE BANANA COOKIES (I make these cookies several times a month.) 3 mashed ripe bananas (I usually use 2 small bananas OR 2 small bananas + 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce \- depending on how soft or hard you want the cookies) 2 c. gluten\-free oats 1 c. chopped dates\* 1/3 c. coconut oil (or vegetable oil) 1 t. vanilla pinch of salt Preheat oven o 350\-degrees F. Mix ingredients well. Drop by teaspoonfuls (don't make them very large) onto an ungreased, or parchment\-lined, cookie sheet and press to flatten (I use my fingers \- and round the mounds slightly). Bake for 20\-25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Notes: \-I like to let the dough set for 5\-10 minutes (while the oven preheats) in order to hydrate all the ingredients. \-Depending on how long you bake them will determine whether the cookies are really soft or more crunchy. \-\*You can add any number of add\-ins besides dates. I often snip dried apricots into 1/4\-inch bits with my kitchen scissors and use a cup of them, add 1/4\-1/3 c. mini\-chocolate chips for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, dried blueberries, dried apple bits, currants, dried cherries (I usually snip them into smaller bits with my kitchen scissors), or a mixture of these. For increased nutrition I often use 1/2 c. cacao nibs along with mini\-chocolate chips, and that is a good combination. \-I generally use a \#70 portion scoop and bake 2 standard cookie sheets full \- or 35\-40 SMALL cookies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH COOKIES 1 stick butter 3/4 c. peanut butter Microwave in a microwave\-safe dish to liquefy. 1 t. baking soda pinch of salt 2 eggs 1 c. unsalted dry\-roasted peanuts 1/2 c. raw or roasted sunflower seeds 1/2 c. almond flour 1/2 c. palm sugar (or brown sugar) 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips 1/2 c. unsweetened coconut (optional) 1/2 c. cacao nibs (optional) In a large bowl, use a hand\-held electric mixer to blend all ingredients. Drop by teaspoonfuls and press the mounds down slightly. Bake in a 375\-degree preheated oven for 12\-minutes. Notes: \-I use a \#50 portion scoop. \-Recipe makes 2 full pans, or 35\-40 small cookies. \-Grainlady

Here's a variation of the Texas & Chocolate sheet cakes: the cinnamon makes it "Mexican". I found this in the Houston Chronicle in the early '80s & have made it since, & always get raves for it (though some people think it is brownies because it's so thin.) Great for a crowd potluck. This recipe is so easy - I can make & frost it in 50 minutes. I don't even clean the saucepan from the cake melting - just leave it for the frosting. I have always used the unsweetened chocolate -haven't tried the cocoa. Notice that the cake ingredients don't need to be sifted. It's even better the second day - the flavors have time to mellow. MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE 1 stick (1/2 c.) butter 1/2 c. vegetable oil 2 squares unsweetened chocolate OR 4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa 1 c. water 2 c. unsifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 3/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. sour milk (place 1/2 tsp. vinegar in 1/2 c. milk) 2 eggs, beaten 3/4 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, oil, chocolate and water in a saucepan and heat until chocolate is melted. Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, milk, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla in large bowl; then combine with first mixture. Pour into a greased 12x18-inch cake pan (I use a 12x15-inch cushionaire-type jelly roll pan). Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cake tests done. Bake on middle rack. Five minutes before cake is done, prepare: MEXICAN CHOCOLATE ICING: 1 stick butter 2 squares unsweetened chocolate 6 Tbsp. milk 1 (1 lb.) pkg. confectioners' sugar, sifted 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 c. chopped pecans Combine butter, chocolate and milk in a saucepan and heat until bubbles form around the edge. Remove from heat, add confectioners' sugar, vanilla and pecans; beat. Ice cake while still warm. Frosting is not stiff.