Mama Jo's: April 2019

Let's be personal for just a moment... this original recipe was a labor of LOVE! It took nearly 10 years to find! We went through A LOT - (A WHOLE LOT!) of sugar cookie recipes before finding one that my handsome man loved.

Then, I had the task of wrapping my head around making it gluten-free.

Without further procrastination, (it has been a "draft" since December 2017...) I give you: Bret Sr.’s Favorite Sugar Cookie

(Your recipe for your recipe... )

GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR MIX:

3 cups Bob's Red Mill - RICE FLOUR
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill - TAPIOCA FLOUR
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill - POTATO STARCH
1 heaping Tablespoon Bob's Red Mill - XANTHAN GUM
1/2 Tablespoon sea salt

Mix throughly - keep in an air tight container or fridge.
(Note: When using in a recipe as a wheat flour substitute - OMIT up to 1 teaspoon salt.)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

1 egg

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

½ teaspoon almond extract

3 cups Gluten-FREE flour mixture

1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar with a hand mixer (or a Kitchen Aid) mixer until combined.

Once combined, beat sugar and butter on HIGH for 10-12 minutes until light and fluffy.

Beat in egg and extracts.

In separate bowl, mix flour, and baking powder; add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time and mixing in completely after each addition.

DO NOT CHILL DOUGH.

Divide dough into two balls.

On your counter sprinkle an Tablespoon or two of the gluten-free flour mixture to roll out each ball ¼ inch thick - one at a time.

Monitor your use of the cookie dough.

Do not roll out and cut more than 3 times.

TOSS whatever is left over after rolling it out 3 times.

(WARNING: your cookies will be nasty… Don’t be tempted to roll out more than 3 times.)

Dip cookie cutter in flour before each use.

Bake cookies on a baking sheet with parchment paper for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are just barely, barely brown.

DO NOT transfer them to a cooling rack immediately.

Let sit on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring.

Lift parchment paper gently on opposite corners and let cool completely before icing.

NOTES AND TIPS: I use what’s left as a lump cookie with pretty sugar sprinkled on top instead of rolling out into another shape.

If you want to skip icing just sprinkle your cookies with colored or large granulated sugar before baking! Skipping the icing makes these cookies incredibly fast since there is NO CHILL TIME... (HECK YES!)

Sugar Cookie Icing:

When sugar cookies are baked and cooled make the following in desired colors. I usually make 3 or 4 to accommodate the number of cookies made. I use fairly large cookie cutters. For smaller cookies, more icing will be needed.

For each color:

1 cup powder sugar

2 teaspoons milk

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon almond extract

food coloring

In a small bowl, stir together powder sugar and milk until smooth.

Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy.

If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.

Add food coloring until desired color is achieved.

Use the back of a spoon to distribute icing and then to paint sugar cookies.

NOTES FOR G-FREE FLOUR BAKING:
You are using a white rice-based flour...
Be careful to note that the cookies will remain extremely
WHITE and you will over-cook and/or burn your
cookies if you are waiting for a
"light-golden brown" color on top.

...It's never gonna happen!

I realized when Payton made these on her own
(to give out to her friends! So cute...)
that there needed to be a visual
on how thick the cookies need to be!

And a 1/4 INCH is pretty thick guys...

I have squished enough of these over the years
to know what it "feels" like when the right thickness.
But here's something for y'all to LOOK at. :0)

The fastest way to make these sugar cookies is to
squish a ball of cookie dough out to a 1/4 inch thick,
cut a shape with a cookie-cutter within the circle,
(DON'T CUT ALL THE WAY DOWN!),
finish off your cookies with some colored sugar
before baking and then BAKE.
Easy-peasy...

Click Link FOR: Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS

Our Version of "Hawaiian" Pizza:

- BACON! (cooked)
- Fresh Pineapple
- Mozzarella
- Homemade Sauce (recipe below)
- 1/2 of the dough from
a READY TO USE
natural yeast basic bread dough
(recipe linked below)
- grapeseed oil

Baking with Natural Yeast Basic Bread Dough -
mixed the day before and now READY TO BAKE!

NOTE: 2 large pizzas per basic bread dough recipe

Click Link for Basic Bread Dough: Baking With Natural Yeast - BASIC BREAD DOUGH

Mama Jo’s Pizza Sauce Recipe:

1/2 cup Bertoli’s EXTRA virgin Olive Oil
1 and 1/2 cups chopped onion

In a large cooking pot heat the oil and then add onions.
Cook until dark golden yellow and carmelised - constantly stirring.

Then add:

1 bundle of minced garlic (8-10 cloves)
3 TABLESPOONS oregano
2 TABLESPOONS basil
2 TABLESPOONS sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspooon coarse black pepper
20 (individual...) red pepper flakes

1 (30 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (8 oz.) can tomato puree

Simmer for 15-30 minutes

Makes enough sauce for 4-5 homemade pizzzas.
Refrigerate or freeze any extra sauce you do not use.

Bake at 425° for 15-18 minutes.

Be sure to caramelize your onions
BEFORE
adding the garlic or you will
scorch/burn your garlic.

Garlic just needs a few minutes of
cooking before you add the spices.

I know... It may seem funny.
But this is the "just-right" amount of both!

Your sauce should have a lovely
SHEEN of olive oil.

If not, add a few more Tablespoons
until it does!

Spray with Pam cooking spray and then
sprinkle a coating of cornmeal on
your FLAT baking stone.

I use my hand at first, wet with water
so the dough doesn't stick...

And then a roller also wetted with water
to roll out the dough.
Keeps the crust CRISPY! Not soggy...