Whenever I publish anything about gluten-free recipes, reactions tend to settle on two ends of the spectrum. At one end: Thank goodness! At the other: Gluten-free is unnecessary and unhealthy!
It’s enough to give me recipe whiplash.
[Take the sweetest trip around the country with these 14 American regional cookie recipes]
Regardless of the reason, plenty of people need or choose to eat gluten-free. And now that it’s the holiday season, it’s best to let our generous impulses guide us. Why not be inclusive? It’s especially fun with these delicious treats from our archives that will be appreciated by people who do and don’t avoid gluten.
Forgotten Chocolate Cookies. I adored this meringue-like treat included in my roundup of 14 American regional cookies. They’re fast and easy to make, and you get to choose whether you want to use walnuts or pecans.
[Holiday Cookie Generator: Search more than 300 recipes]
Catalan Marzipan Cookies With Coconut (Panellets de Coco). There are only five ingredients in these macaroon-esque cookies that are bound together by — wait for it — a Yukon Gold potato. This is a surefire recipe for a treat that delivers on appearance without making you work too hard.
Poppy Seed Cookies. Our gluten-free cookie trip now takes a turn to this Persian specialty. Again, the ingredient list is fairly trim. Basically, it’s a thumbprint cookie with the indent filled with poppy seeds. Simple and stunning.
Banana Cookies. What do you know, another pantry-friendly, five-ingredient-recipe! Keep in mind you still want the bananas fairly firm here, not soft and ripe as you would for bread. The dough is bulked up with almond meal and sweetened with maple syrup.
Boiled Peanut Butter Cookies. Meet our most popular cookie of the year! These no-bakes from Southern cooking legend Edna Lewis hit the spot for a tasty, nostalgic treat that is no sweat to put together.
Endlessly Adaptable Cookie Bars. Here’s a recipe that contains multitudes, with variations suitable for people with gluten-free or vegan diets, as well as those who prefer whole grains. The add-ins are up for interpretation as well.
[One dough can deliver cookies to match everyone’s tastes]
White Chocolate Honey Crisp Bars. Like you, the classic puffed rice treat gets dressed up for the holidays. Milk chocolate is added to the base mix, taking the place of the marshmallows along with some sweetened condensed milk.
Bettyanne’s Florentines. You may have seen “Great British Baking Show” contestants lose it over florentines in the past, but this is a much more amateur-friendly version, which is baked in a muffin tin. Dip in chocolate for an additional flourish.
More from Voraciously:
A luxurious — and strong — eggnog recipe to sustain you through this holiday season, and many more
11 cookbooks that inspired us in 2019
Don’t underestimate your hand mixer. Here’s how to put it to work for you.
