Tagalongs GS Cookies, GF

By MaryEllen

Girl Scout Cookie “season” doesn’t have to mean deprivation for those of us living gluten free, just make your own gluten free girl scout cookies; my Gluten Free Tagalongs recipe is a great place to start … or to finish. I mean, what could be better than chocolate and peanut butter layered together overtop of a delicious cookie base? That’s a gluten free Tagalong!

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• For Cookie
• 1 cup butter or non-dairy alternative, room temperature (Earth Balance Buttery Sticks® or soy-free sticks)
• 1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
• 2 cups gfJules™All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 Tbs. dairy or non-dairy milk of choice (only if the dough is too thick)
• For Filling
• 1 1/2 cups creamy nut butter or sunflower nut butter
• 3/4-1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• For Chocolate Coating
• 16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (Enjoy Life® dairy& soy-free chocolate chips or Pascha® organic chocolate chips)
• 2 tsp. non-GMO canola or vegetable oil

Details

Adapted from gfjules.com

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions
Cookie Base

As with most cookie recipes, first cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.

Stir in the dry ingredients gradually: gfJules™ Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, baking powder and salt (if using) at a low speed. Lastly, beat in the vanilla extract and milk (if, and as necessary), until a soft dough is formed that is not crumbly. For best results, refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350° F (static) or 325 (convection). Either scoop dough, one tablespoon at a time, in your hands and roll between your palms into a ball, flattening slightly to a thickness of ¼ inch. Repeat with another cookie sheet to make approximately 30 cookies.

Place each cookie on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. Do not overcook, as you do not want the cookies to become dry and to crumble.

Once cooked, remove the pan from the oven to a cooling rack and gently use the point of a teaspoon or your thumb (careful not to burn yourself!) and press in the center of each cookie to make a dimple for the nut butter filling.

While the cookies are cooling on the baking sheets, make the nut butter filling.
Nut Butter Filling

In a small bowl, beat or whisk together nut butter, ¾ cup powdered sugar and vanilla extract. If the nut butter you use has no salt added, you may want to add ½ teaspoon of salt at this stage as well.

Taste the mixture to see if it needs additional powdered sugar. If you don’t like the taste of the mixture now, you won’t like it in the cookie, so add more salt or sugar if you need.

Note: if using “natural” nut butter, they tend to be wetter than conventional nut butter, so additional sugar may be necessary to achieve the proper filling consistency. At this point, the filling should be creamy, but not runny. If it is very stiff, microwave in a microwave-safe bowl for 10-20 seconds, stir and microwave again until the consistency is such that it can be piped out of a plastic zip-top bag without being too stiff or runny.

Transfer the filling to a pastry bag or a plastic bag with the tip cut off, and pipe a generous dome of filling into each cookie’s hollowed out center and a thinner layer across the top of most of the rest of the cookie, leaving a narrow, uncovered/exposed edge.

Chill cookies on their cookie sheets in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes, or until the nut butter filling is firm.
Chocolate Coating

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or a small, microwave-safe bowl, stirring frequently and not overheating so as not to burn the chocolate. Add oil in with the melted chocolate and stir to combine once totally melted and smooth.

Using tongs or a fork, dip each cookie in the heated chocolate, flipping to coat both sides and gently replacing on the parchment-lined cookie sheet to set. If you prefer, simply drizzle melted chocolate on top of each cookie to coat instead of dipping.

Return the cookie sheets to the freezer or refrigerator to set.