These German Spice Cookies are so moist, chewy, and delicious! They’re gluten free~a delicious treat for the holidays!
For those of you who have already started my December Fitness Challenge, surely you deserve a cookie {or two} for all your hard work!
And, for those of you not doing the challenge…
It’s the holiday season and I CAN’T deny you a cookie, but promise me, pretty please, that you’ll try and get some good workout sessions in this holiday season.
Promise?
Miss Hull was my Grandpa VJ’s and Grandma Edith’s {now you know where I get my name!} book keeper for many, many years, at their family business, Precision Wire Products . {If you’ve ever shopped for groceries, and I’m hoping most of you have, you’ve probably used one of their shopping carts.}
I don’t remember much about Miss Hull, other than she was a super nice lady, and, without a doubt, she made some of my favorite cookies.
Studded with nuts and fruit, and deeply scented with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, these cookies are perfect for the holidays.
My version has undergone a couple of changes…
First, and most importantly, I have made them gluten-free, so I can eat them.
And second, I omitted the candied fruit, raisins, and citron, for two simple reasons…
- My children do not care for raisins in their cookies.
- I could not find any candied fruit or citron at the grocery store when I made these cookies yesterday. {Although I heard from my father today that Bristol Farms carries candied fruit, and I also heard from SiSi and Big Tex’s friend, Jake, that the local CVS Pharmacy carries candied fruit. Candied Fruit at the Pharmacy? Who would of thunk???}
Here’s Miss Hull’s recipe, with my gluten-free substitutions in orange…
Miss Hull’s German Spice Cookies
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoon sour cream {I used milk since I was out of sour cream}
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 4 tablespoons molasses
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/4 cup flour {Gluten-Free Option: 1 1/2 cups sorghum OR brown rice flour, plus 1/2 cup potato starch, plus 1/2 cup tapioca flour, plus 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum}
- 1/2-1 cup chopped nuts {I made 1/2 a batch with chopped pecans, and 1/2 a batch without nuts}
- 1/2 cup chopped raisins {optional}
- 1/4 cup chopped candied fruit {optional}
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped citron {optional}
Instructions: {These are Miss Hull’s original instructions, short but sweet!} Cream butter and sugar. Add cream, molasses and eggs. Add rest of ingredients. Chill dough. Break off bits of dough and flatten down 3 inches apart on greased baking sheet {or on parchment paper}. Bake 12 minutes in moderate oven. {I took this to mean 350 degrees}.
Eat!
Fill your cookie jar!
Eat some more!
My tasters included hubby, our friends, Jen and Tom, Big Tex, and Big Tex’s friends Chase and Jake. Everyone gave the cookies a BIG thumbs up!
And, for an extra dose of sweetness, check out this photo of Max, my in-laws new puppy!
Happy Holidays!
What are your favorite holiday cookies? If you have kids, do they like raisins in their cookies? Do you have a cookie jar? Getting any new pets this holiday season???
