Glutenfri Pebernødder // Gluten Free Danish Peppernuts, With Baker's Ammonia Substitute

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I've been staying with my grandmother lately to help her out. I wanted her to try these delicious cookies! But she has celiac disease, so I had to figure out a gluten free recipe for her. She does eat wheat on occasion, but she shouldn't. So I didn't want to make her cookies that would just make her sick.

I'd googled lots of recipes which called for various flours that I didn't have. I could have made some from scratch, but we were grocery shopping one day and I found a gluten free flour that said you can substitute it for flour, 1:1! I did end up having to modify my recipe, though!

Ingredients

1/2 cup room temperature butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 1/2 tablespoons milk

2 1/4 cups *Pillsbury Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend flour

1/2 teaspoon ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and black pepper

1/8 teaspoon *Baker's Ammonia, OR, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda & baking powder

Directions

I used a standing mixer this time, but for directions on how to do it by hand, without any electric mixers, see my first pebernødder recipe! It should work for this recipe too.

You'll want to preheat your oven to 400F/200C at some point and prepare your cookie sheets.

I usually use 2 to 3 cookie sheets. Do this whenever it's most convenient. I like to prepare the cookie sheets with parchment paper before I start anything else, and preheat the oven when I start filling the first cookie sheet.

Put it all into the mixer and scrape down the sides of your bowl a few times to make sure it's all mixed up. My mixer did a pretty good job so when it was done I just scraped it off the sides to form a ball at the bottom of the mixer bowl.

Keep in mind that the cookies don't expand much, so they don't need to be super far apart. See picture below for an example.

I used a 1/8 teaspoon to help me grab a small amount, dragging it up the side of the bowl letting the extra roll off until I got the size I want. Alternatively, you can just grab a small piece and roll it in your hands. You will need to flour your hands occasionally. I used a combination of this. I used the teaspoon to pick up the dough because I didn't like how the dough kept sticking to my fingers. Then I rolled it a little in my hands so it would be smooth and round. 

The reason for the different directions in this part of the recipe is because the gluten free dough is stickier than the regular dough. Just do whatever works for you!

After you get a full cookie sheet, place it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. That's 15-20 minutes if you live in a high altitude area (about 3600 feet where I live, and that's the time that works for me).

While they're baking, begin filling your next cookie sheet.

When the first batch is done, you can let them cool, or toss them into your tin to begin filling the cookie sheet again. It just depends on your speed! Don't feel like you need to rush. Just take your time. I've never had any issue dumping the warm cookies into the tin.

This is why I like to use 3 cookie sheets. So one is cooling, one is in the oven, and one is being filled.

You'll want to store the cookies in something that isn't exactly airtight, like a tin or glass dish with a lid. Airtight containers are better for a cookie you want to be more soft and chewy since it traps the moisture. These cookies are meant to be more crisp and dry.

Please feel free to comment with any questions you may have.
Tried the recipe? Share your photos with me on social media for a possible shout out, if you're interested!

Happy Holidays!