Description
One simple gluten-free cookie dough, four different Christmas cookies. With a naturally sweet chestnut flour base and a homemade berry-and-nut filling, this versatile dough can be shaped into rugelach, Danish hindbærsnitter, thumbprint cookies, or classic cut-out cookies. They’re gluten-free, sugar-free, and festive enough for a Christmas cookie platter everyone can enjoy.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 75g chestnut flour
- 50g almond flour
- 40g cassava flour
- 20g coconut flour
- 20g tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon allulose
- 100g cold butter, cubed (I use French or Italian A2 butter)
- 1 pastured egg
- Zest of 1 organic lemon
- Zest of 1 organic orange, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt, if using unsalted butter
- 2–3 tablespoons ice-cold water, as needed
- Inulin powder or another powdered sugar-free sweetener, for dusting
For the berry and nut filling
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries, such as blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries
- 1/4 cup finely ground toasted walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Prepare the dough. Combine the chestnut, almond, cassava, coconut, and tapioca flours. Transfer to a food processor and add the sweetener, cold butter, egg, citrus zest, vanilla, and salt, if using. Pulse until combined. Add the ice-cold water gradually, just until the dough comes together.
- Rest the dough. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it, and let it rest in a cool place for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the filling. Gently warm the berries until soft, then blend or mash them into a thick purée. Stir in the ground toasted walnuts or pecans. The filling should be thick and spreadable rather than runny.
- For rugelach: Roll half of the dough into a 9-inch (23cm) circle and cut it into 8 triangles. Add a small amount of filling near the wide end of each triangle, then gently roll toward the point to form a crescent. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until set and lightly golden around the edges.
- For hindbærsnitter: Roll the dough into a rectangle, trim the edges, and cut it into an even number of equal pieces. Spread a thin layer of filling over half of the pieces and cover with the remaining pieces to make sandwiches. Alternatively, use matching cookie-cutter shapes. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until set and lightly golden.
- For thumbprint cookies: Gather leftover pieces of dough and gently roll them into small balls. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie and fill with a small amount of the berry mixture. Bake until set and lightly golden.
- For cut-out cookies: Roll the dough into an even sheet and cut into your favorite Christmas shapes. Bake them plain or make matching pairs and use the berry mixture to create sandwich cookies. Bake until set and lightly golden.
- Finish. You can refrigerate the shaped cookies while preparing the remaining variations and bake them when ready. Allow the baked cookies to cool, then dust with inulin powder or your preferred powdered sugar-free sweetener.
Notes
Keep the dough cool while working with it, especially when making the rugelach. If it becomes too soft or difficult to handle, refrigerate it briefly before continuing.
For more sweetness, feel free to add extra sweetener to the dough. You can also add a little bit of allulose to the berry and walnut filling.
Store the cookies in a covered container in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. The baked cookies can also be frozen for longer storage.