the great food blogger cookie swap 2012: soft molasses cookies

Getting Christmas cookies in the mail is enough to make any day bright. Swap cookies with food bloggers from across the country? Yes, please.

Unlike last year, this year's cookie swap required me to specify my newly discovered food intolerance: soy. Not only were my cookie swap matches soy-free - but they were also nut-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. Whaaaat?

I diligently did my research, hit the health food store for specialty ingredients, and embarked on what felt more like a science experiment than baking. Being new to the specialty baking scene, I doubted that any cookies I made meeting these requirements would be tasty. Boy, was I wrong. These soft molasses cookies from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen were so delicious you would never know they met all these requirements. Even my dad approved these tasty treats.


Soft Molasses Cookies (from the Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen)

2 cups sorghum flour
½ cup tapioca flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
¾ cup organic palm shortening
1 cup Sucanat, coconut sugar, or brown sugar
½ cup blackstrap molasses (this is key)
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds

To start, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature; especially your applesauce.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the sorghum flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt, cinnamon, and ginger. 

In a separate mixing bowl, beat the palm shortening, sugar, and molasses together with an electric mixer. Add the applesauce, vanilla, and ground flax seeds; beat for another 60 seconds.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat together. Continue to beat for another minute or until the ingredients are well-combined and the dough thickens.

Cover bowl with a plate and chill dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a large cookie sheet.

Remove bowl from refrigerator and form dough into little balls with the palms of your hands. Place each ball on the greased cookie sheet spaced out by about 2 inches.

Bake for approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.


And what did I get in return? Absolutely delicious Maple Meringues from Sara @The Little Bite and drool-worthy  Double Chocolate Cranberry Noel Cookies from Sara @Pidge's Pantry. Thanks ladies!