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Linzer Hearts

makes 24 cookies (12 3-inch sandwich cookies and 12 2-inch hearts)

Sophisticated and divine, these cookies are a real treat, whether it’s Valentine’s Day or you just
feel like saying “I love you.” And, they’re made without the traditional allergenic addition of
hazelnuts or almonds; what could be better?

21/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons Basic Gluten- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed
Free Flour Mix (page 19) brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum 11/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt 11/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer mixed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon with 2 tablespoons rice milk
3/4 cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable 3 tablespoons rice milk
shortening 1/2 cup raspberry jam
3/4 cup granulated sugar Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Whisk together the flour mix, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening,
granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed, beating until fluffy, about
2 minutes. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and egg replacer. Mix for about 20 seconds.
3. Add the flour mixture to the bowl in three batches, mixing on low, alternating with the
rice milk, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the dough comes
together.
4. Divide the dough into two balls. Form into disks, wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap,
and refrigerate for 2 hours.
5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. Sprinkle flour mix on your work surface and your rolling pin. Remove one disk of dough
from the fridge. Sprinkle a little of the flour mix onto both sides of the dough. Use the
palm of your hand to flatten the disk, then roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. (It will be
a little stiff at first but will soften up fast. Pinch the edges together with your fingers the
first go-around, if necessary.)
7. Cut into 12 heart shapes using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Cut out the center from
half the shapes with a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Using a metal spatula, carefully
transfer the shapes to the baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Repeat with the remaining
dough and scraps until you have 12 whole hearts, 12 hearts with the centers cut out, and
about 12 bite-size hearts. Put the baking sheets in the fridge to chill the cookies again.

continued

Cookies 73
Linzer Hearts, continued

8. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

9. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, or until just slightly golden, rotating the
pan halfway through. Let cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to
a cooling rack to cool completely.
10. Once the cookies have cooled, spread the large whole hearts with the raspberry jam. Sift
the confectioners’ sugar over the hearts with the centers cut out and the small bite-size
hearts. Top the large whole hearts with an open heart.

74 The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook


Canola Oil
I generally use canola oil in my recipes because it’s
Foods, and many local health food stores. It’s also
popping up on some supermarket shelves. There is
Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix
easy to find, healthful, and mild. See Resources, a small chance that containers of SunButter could makes 6 cups
page 177, for brands that are manufactured in a be cross-contaminated with soy, which is also
The key to the very best gluten-free baked goods is Authentic Foods superfine brown rice flour;
peanut-free, tree nut–free facility. Alternatively, processed at that facility. To be extra careful, you
can make your own sunflower seed butter using
it is the Cadillac, or cashmere, of brown rice flours and is worth its weight in gold. It is not
you can use rice bran oil, another light, healthful
peanut-free sunflower seeds that you know to be grainy like other rice flours, and bakes the most fantastic cookies, cakes, pie crusts, and so on.
oil (again, check Resources, page 177, for “safe”
brands). If you choose to use another type of safe. You can now buy “safe” sunflower seeds for If you can’t find it at your local natural foods market or Whole Foods, order it online. Both
vegetable oil, pick one that you know is safe for snacking, or to use in baking, though you may have Ener-G and Bob’s Red Mill brown rice flours will also work in these recipes, but they won’t turn
you and that has a mild flavor. I like safflower oil to order these online. See Resources, page 177, for out quite as well. I do not recommend Arrowhead Mills brown rice flour, which I find too gritty.
and sunflower oil, or you may choose to bake with peanut-free, tree nut–free brands. The brands of potato starch and tapioca flour or starch are not important; I find them all inter-
extra-light olive oil. changeable. (Please see Resources, page 177, for more information.)

1/3 cup canola oil = 1/2 cup butter Replacing Wheat Flour and 4 cups superfine brown rice flour
11/3 cups potato starch (not potato flour)
Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Vegetable Shortening Other Gluten Flours 2/3 cup tapioca flour (also called tapioca starch)

Organic, nonhydrogenated, cholesterol-free, this


This is perhaps the trickiest part of baking allergen- 1. To measure flour, use a large spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level it
shortening bakes up nice and light. See Resources,
free. It’s not so hard to bake gluten-free if you can off with the back of a knife or straightedge. Do not use the measuring cup itself to scoop
page 177, for brands that are manufactured in a
still use eggs, butter, and nut flours, but figuring your flour when measuring! It will compact the flour and you will wind up with too
peanut-free, tree nut–free facility. If the shorten-
out how to bake without any of them has been a much for the recipe.
ing is too solid to measure out easily, warm it in
learning curve for me. But I persevered and am 2. Combine all ingredients in a gallon-size zipper-top bag. Shake until well blended. Store
the microwave for about 15 seconds to soften it
happy to report that I’ve come out triumphant. in the refrigerator until ready to use.
slightly. If it is too soft and soupy because it’s a very
Baking allergen-free and gluten-free is not only
warm day, chill the shortening in the refrigerator
possible, but it’s also downright delicious!
for 30 minutes, or until firmer. Also, be sure to
pack and pack again when measuring, because it
Gluten-Free, Allergen-Free Flours
has a tendency to create air pockets. Really push it
down into the measuring cup to make sure you’re Here’s what you have to choose from: rice, corn,
getting an exact measure. potato, tapioca, bean, garfava, sorghum, quinoa,
millet, buckwheat, arrowroot, amaranth, teff,
1 cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening =
montina, and flax flours.
1 cup unsalted butter

Whoa, that’s a lot of flours! And trickier still, most


Replacing Nuts and of them can’t be used on their own—they must be
mixed like you’re doing AP chemistry. They can’t
Nut Butters be swapped out cup for cup for wheat flour, and
they require varying amounts of xanthan gum from
The past few years have seen the advent of Sun-
recipe to recipe. So to make things simple for you,
Butter. SunButter (aka sunflower seed butter) is
I’ve created a Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix that you
a great replacement for peanut butter and other
can whip up and store in your fridge.
nut butters. It is available at Trader Joe’s, Whole

18 The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook How to Bake Allergen-Free 19


Canola Oil
I generally use canola oil in my recipes because it’s
Foods, and many local health food stores. It’s also
popping up on some supermarket shelves. There is
Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix
easy to find, healthful, and mild. See Resources, a small chance that containers of SunButter could makes 6 cups
page 177, for brands that are manufactured in a be cross-contaminated with soy, which is also
The key to the very best gluten-free baked goods is Authentic Foods superfine brown rice flour;
peanut-free, tree nut–free facility. Alternatively, processed at that facility. To be extra careful, you
can make your own sunflower seed butter using
it is the Cadillac, or cashmere, of brown rice flours and is worth its weight in gold. It is not
you can use rice bran oil, another light, healthful
peanut-free sunflower seeds that you know to be grainy like other rice flours, and bakes the most fantastic cookies, cakes, pie crusts, and so on.
oil (again, check Resources, page 177, for “safe”
brands). If you choose to use another type of safe. You can now buy “safe” sunflower seeds for If you can’t find it at your local natural foods market or Whole Foods, order it online. Both
vegetable oil, pick one that you know is safe for snacking, or to use in baking, though you may have Ener-G and Bob’s Red Mill brown rice flours will also work in these recipes, but they won’t turn
you and that has a mild flavor. I like safflower oil to order these online. See Resources, page 177, for out quite as well. I do not recommend Arrowhead Mills brown rice flour, which I find too gritty.
and sunflower oil, or you may choose to bake with peanut-free, tree nut–free brands. The brands of potato starch and tapioca flour or starch are not important; I find them all inter-
extra-light olive oil. changeable. (Please see Resources, page 177, for more information.)

1/3 cup canola oil = 1/2 cup butter Replacing Wheat Flour and 4 cups superfine brown rice flour
11/3 cups potato starch (not potato flour)
Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Vegetable Shortening Other Gluten Flours 2/3 cup tapioca flour (also called tapioca starch)

Organic, nonhydrogenated, cholesterol-free, this


This is perhaps the trickiest part of baking allergen- 1. To measure flour, use a large spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level it
shortening bakes up nice and light. See Resources,
free. It’s not so hard to bake gluten-free if you can off with the back of a knife or straightedge. Do not use the measuring cup itself to scoop
page 177, for brands that are manufactured in a
still use eggs, butter, and nut flours, but figuring your flour when measuring! It will compact the flour and you will wind up with too
peanut-free, tree nut–free facility. If the shorten-
out how to bake without any of them has been a much for the recipe.
ing is too solid to measure out easily, warm it in
learning curve for me. But I persevered and am 2. Combine all ingredients in a gallon-size zipper-top bag. Shake until well blended. Store
the microwave for about 15 seconds to soften it
happy to report that I’ve come out triumphant. in the refrigerator until ready to use.
slightly. If it is too soft and soupy because it’s a very
Baking allergen-free and gluten-free is not only
warm day, chill the shortening in the refrigerator
possible, but it’s also downright delicious!
for 30 minutes, or until firmer. Also, be sure to
pack and pack again when measuring, because it
Gluten-Free, Allergen-Free Flours
has a tendency to create air pockets. Really push it
down into the measuring cup to make sure you’re Here’s what you have to choose from: rice, corn,
getting an exact measure. potato, tapioca, bean, garfava, sorghum, quinoa,
millet, buckwheat, arrowroot, amaranth, teff,
1 cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening =
montina, and flax flours.
1 cup unsalted butter

Whoa, that’s a lot of flours! And trickier still, most


Replacing Nuts and of them can’t be used on their own—they must be
mixed like you’re doing AP chemistry. They can’t
Nut Butters be swapped out cup for cup for wheat flour, and
they require varying amounts of xanthan gum from
The past few years have seen the advent of Sun-
recipe to recipe. So to make things simple for you,
Butter. SunButter (aka sunflower seed butter) is
I’ve created a Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix that you
a great replacement for peanut butter and other
can whip up and store in your fridge.
nut butters. It is available at Trader Joe’s, Whole

18 The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook How to Bake Allergen-Free 19


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The Allergen-Free
Baker’s Handbook
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