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Sugarplum Cookies

This recipe was graciously shared with us by Erin McKenna of BabyCakesNYC bakery which is vegan and has a variety of gluten-free foods, such as these cookies.  From Erin:

"I grew up in California just inches from the Mexican border, so I've always had an affinity for that country's culture-in particular the lightly spiced cookies rolled in powdered sugar and served at weddings, ingeniously referred to stateside as Mexican Wedding Cookies.  My homage to this perennial favorite has more crunch and some newfangled flavors, but I am sure you'll agree it, too, is piñata-worthy.

-from BabyCakes, the cookbook, available at amazon.com

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil

  • 1 1/4 cups evaporated cane juice

  • 1/2 cup homeade applesauce or store-bought unsweetened applesauce

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

  • 2 cups brown rice flour

  • 1/4 cup flax meal

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

  • plum jam (I like St. Dalfour brand)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix the oil, evaporated cane juice, applesauce, salt and vanilla until fully combined. Add the flour, flax meal, baking soda, xanthan gum, cinnamon and nutmeg directly to the wet ingredients, and combine until a dough is formed.  If ti crumbles, add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a ball. 

Using a melon baller, scoop the dough into the prepared baking sheets, spacing the portions 1 inch apart.  Press your thumb into the center of each ball to make an indentation.  Bake the cookies on the center rack for 16 minutes, rotating the sheets 180 degrees after 8 minutes.  The finished cookies will be golden and firm to the touch.

Let the cookies stand on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely.  Pour the confectioner's sugar into a shallow bowl and roll the cookies through it until completely coated.  Spoon 1 teaspoon plum jam into each indentation.  Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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