Visually there were two main differences after baking. First, the cookies with gluten flour expanded in width and height as expected, but the gluten free cookies stayed exactly the same even though beating the butter and sugar together should have resulted in some expansion after baking. Second, the gluten-free cookies were done on the bottom before they could get brown on top. As I have had so few problems using gluten-free flour as a 1:1 substitute in other recipes, I wondered what happened here.
Prevention Magazine suggests to bake cookies using gluten-free flour at 25 degrees lower and 15 minutes longer than the recipe calls for to get them browner on top. For this type of cookie (refrigerator), that's probably worth a try. To get cookies to rise, The Spruce Eats writes that if the butter is overbeaten when making any kind of cookie, the cookies may be flat after baking. Truth be told, for the gluten-free batch, I forgot to add the sugar to the butter in the stand mixer at the beginning so I beat it longer than the suggested 4 minutes and maybe not long enough for the leavening chemistry to occur? My experience has shown that gluten-free baking items never rise as much as ones with gluten, but by adding a little extra baking powder or using a gluten free flour brand with xanthum gum (or adding it), they taste great and allow those with gluten sensitivities to enjoy them, too.
In terms of mouth feel, there was no comparison. The cookies with gluten were like biting into billowy layers of fluff. The ones without gluten were more like compressed shortbread. No matter, though. They both were full of buttery flavor and crunchy nuts, and when wrapped individually like you would find at a cafe, looked like a very special treat. The Program Director emailed me after I dropped the cookies off: "They will be packed in meal bags on Thursday. Pistachios are so dear. We have never had a pistachio cookie ever. Wow." I hope they bring a smile.
My Paleo Marin Rating:
Cookie with Gluten Flour: 3.5 Persimmons
Cookie with Gluten-Free Flour: 3 Persimmons*
Ingredients:
1/2 cup [60 g] unsalted pistachios, shelled and processed as described in Directions below
1 stick/4oz [110 g] unsalted butter, cubed (Note: butter should sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before adding to mixer; it needs to be cool but not right out of the fridge)
3/4 (150 g) cup pure cane sugar
1 large egg, chilled
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, or pistachio extract
2 cups [280 g] all purpose flour (for gluten-free, preferably Cup4Cup Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour)
1/4 cup [21 g] nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher sea salt
Directions:
If you are using gluten flour, preheat the oven to 350º F. If you are using gluten-free flour, try a setting of 325º F. Cover the bottom of 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
For the Pistachios:
To remove the skins, put the shelled pistachios in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let the nuts sit for 5 minutes. Drain, then peel the skins off the nuts by rubbing the nuts between your fingers. Wrap the nuts in a soft towel to dry. Chop them into smaller pieces with a knife, or put the nuts in a plastic bag, seal it and crush them with a rolling pin.
For the Cookie Dough:
1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, dry whisk the flour, milk powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter cubes and sugar. Beat on medium speed for about 4-5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and beat for one more minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the almond or pistachio extract and mix for 10 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl down. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
3. Add half of the dry ingredients to the stand mixer bowl. Start slow as the flour will spread but then mix on medium speed until almost combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Transfer the dough to a silpat sheet, parchment paper or other non-stick surface. Flatten the dough with your hands into an irregular rectangle about 1/4" thick. Add the pistachios in the center and gently fold up the sides. Roll it out to form a log of about 12 inches [20.5 cm] long and an even height throughout. Wrap the roll with a sheet of parchment paper and then plastic wrap, twisting the ends. Place the log in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. For good illustrations by Nik Sharma how to do all of this, see link here.
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| Log Roll before going in the fridge |
6. Let the cookies cool in the baking sheet on a rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Repeat for the other half of the cookie log.
When the cookies have cooled completely, store in a covered container at room temperature for up to a week. One batch made 34 cookies.
#paleo #glutenfree #pistachio #pistachiocookies #dessert #snacks #shortbread #refrigeratorcookies #niksharma #abrowntable #instarecipes
*For a comprehensive overview on gluten free baking including troubleshooting baking problems, see America's Test Kitchen article here.
See "The Six Different Types of Cookies" here.
Recipe adapted from Nik Sharma's A Brown Table blog here.
*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons
I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.
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