As December approaches my family demands (very nicely of course!) that I make my famous ‘nuts & bolts’. It’s the only time of year I make them and boy are they well loved!
The best part is that they’re great for personal snacking and for putting into jars, adding a ribbon, and giving away as gifts.
Like most people, there are a few things I do around the holidays every year without fail. Putting my very own spin on two holiday faves; nuts & bolts and shortbread cookies top the list.
Given that we generally eat dairy-, gluten- and soy-free, I got creative and modified these two recipes so they can be enjoyed by everyone.
Gluten-Free Nuts & Bolts
Dry ingredients:
2 cups GF Chex
2 cups GF O’s (Nature’s Path)
2 cups GF Pretzels
1 cup organic peanuts
Sauce:
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Worchestire Sauce
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Paprika
½ tsp salt
- Place dry ingredients in a large roasting pan. Using a glass measuring cup, mix all wet ingredients (the sauce) using a fork to stir. Drizzle sauce onto dry mixture and ensure it is well coated. It is best to drizzle ¼ of the sauce on the dry mix, stir it up, and then add another ¼ of sauce, stir it up etc. until the measuring cup is empty.
- Place in a 250 degree F oven for 1 hour, mixing every 15-20 minutes to avoid burning and to ensure all ingredients are well coated.
Let cool and enjoy!
I like filling mason jars and adding a ribbon or fabric to the top and giving as gifts.
Gluten-Free Low Glycemic Shortbread Cookies
2 cups GF Flour Blend
½ cup butter softened (or Earth Balance if you cannot have butter)
½ cup coconut sugar (a great sugar substitute as it is lower on the glycemic index scale)
2 tsp potato starch or arrowroot powder (can use corn starch but be sure it is organic)
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Mix flour and starch or arrowroot powder together blending well.
- Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and using your hands to knead, blend thoroughly to form a smooth dough.
- Roll out dough onto lightly floured surface (about ¼ inch thick) or for a simple transfer to a cookie sheet, roll on parchment paper. If the dough is too soft and sticky place in the fridge for 10 minutes to harden. Using cookie cutters, create fancy shapes. Place on cookie sheet.
- Bake in a 300 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes or until cookies begin to brown around the edges. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing from tray and then transfer to rack and cool completely.
**NOTE: When these cookies are finished they will have brown specks in them and look slightly darker than traditional shortbread due to the coconut sugar.
Happy Holidays and happy baking!
What is your favourite recipe to make over the holidays?