Do you Snickerdoodle?

Almond Snickerdoodle, that is. And gluten-free. And reduced-sugar, if you like it that way. Personally, I was never much of a snickerdoodle fan (I mean really... where's the chocolate??). Until I made these. Now I can't stop eating them. It's bad.... very bad.

It took me 5 tries to get this cookie the way I wanted it. It's a balancing act with the flours and the almond meal to get it to a texture that I really like. This is a very light, soft (almost cake-like) cookie. It's hard to eat just one.

I have really enjoyed incorporating almond meal/flour into recipes. Almond meal and almond flour are not the same, although they can sometimes be used interchangeably. Almond meal usually is not as finely ground, and is usually not blanched. Almond flour is finer, and blanched, and considerably more expensive.

Which is better to use for baking? It's really personal preference. For me, when I'm baking cookies - I like to use almond meal. It seems to give cookies more substance than the finer almond flour. This Snickerdoodle is probably the lightest cookie I've ever made using almond meal. I get my almond meal at Trader Joe's ($3.99/lb bag). Almond flour, on the other hand, I like for cakes where a light, fluffy texture is preferable. You can find almond meal at Whole Foods or online, where the price starts at about $7.50 lb. and goes up from there. If you do a lot of baking, it can add up quickly!

This recipe is very easy to make, so have at it!

Gluten-free Almond Snickerdoodles
Makes about 20 - 3/4 oz cookies. This recipe can easily be doubled.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Butter (1 stick)
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/8 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Splenda (or use just regular sugar)
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract (or Almond Extract for a more intense almond flavor)
• 1/2 cup Almond Meal
• 1/2 cup Rice Flour
• 1/2 cup Potato Starch
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
• pinch of Salt

Coating Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Splenda
• 1/2 tsp Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

1. In a very small bowl, mix together the coating ingredients. I usually mix it with a small whisk, and then put it through a strainer to make it fine. It looks nicer on the cookie that way (but you may not care how it looks, as long as it tastes good!). Set aside.
2. In another bowl, mix together the almond meal, rice flour, potato starch, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar, and xanthan gum with a whisk and set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and white & brown sugars together until light and fluffy. Then add the Splenda and beat to incorporate.
4. Add the egg and beat.
5. Add the vanilla extract and beat.
6. Gradually add the dry ingredients (at low speed) and mix until completely blended.
7. Scoop generous tablespoons of batter onto your parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches in between (they do spread!) (or, if you're a bit obsessive like me, you can weigh each one. I make them either 3/4 oz or 1/2 oz).
8. When you have your cookie sheet full, gently roll each into a ball, and then roll the ball in the sugar-cinnamon coating.
9. When each cookie has been coated, press them down lightly with the ball of your hand to make a circle, about 1/4" high.
10. Bake for about 10 minutes.
11. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack.

Makes about 16 - 3 1/2" cookies. This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled if you need more.

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