{"id":1002,"date":"2020-02-14T01:29:39","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T01:29:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gf-veg.com\/?p=1002"},"modified":"2021-12-23T00:42:42","modified_gmt":"2021-12-23T00:42:42","slug":"valentine-cookies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gf-veg.com\/valentine-cookies\/","title":{"rendered":"Valentine Cookies (Dairy Free, Dye Free)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Valentine\u2019s cookies with all the fun & none of the allergens<\/span><\/h1>\n

One of our daughter’s best friends is a celiac and allergic to red dye. So for a fun Valentine\u2019s Day activity, we decided to make these delicious and super easy cookies that are gluten free, red dye free, and also dairy free<\/strong> as an extra bonus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Making gluten free, dairy free chocolate chip sugar cookies<\/span><\/h2>\n

As a working mom, I love my time saving shortcuts when I can find them. My first time saver for this recipe is to use King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Mix<\/a>. This mix is truly delicious. It\u2019s also non-GMO verified, made with whole grain oat flour, easy to roll out, free of artificial preservatives, and certified gluten free. King Arthur Flour makes a number of other gluten free mixes and flours<\/a>, and all that we\u2019ve tried are excellent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s easy to make these Valentine cookies dairy free. Simply select vegan plant butter to add to the mix, such as Miyoko’s Organic Vegan Butter<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Beat together the mix, 1 stick of softened non-dairy plant butter, 1 egg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. As an optional step (inspired by our daughter), mix in 1\/2 cup chocolate chips. Chocolate chips may not be a typical addition to sugar cookies, but we think they taste good enough to justify breaking with tradition. Our favorite allergy-friendly chips are Enjoy Life Foods<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Divide the dough in half, form into 1″ thick disks, wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours (or up to overnight). Flour both sides of the dough with gluten free flour. Roll to desired thickness: 1\/4″ for chewier cookies and 1\/8″ for crispier cookies. Cut into hearts or your desired shape. We don\u2019t have heart-shaped cookie cutters, but we have heart-shaped measuring cups that worked just fine!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"cutting<\/p>\n

Transfer cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 12 – 16 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool on a rack.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Making dye-free, dairy free buttercream frosting<\/span><\/h2>\n

To make the buttercream frosting, first soften a stick of nondairy plant butter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cream the butter using a mixer, then slowly mix in 2 cups powdered sugar (confectioners\u2019 sugar), about \u00bd cup at time. Mix in 1\/2 tsp vanilla extract and a splash of unsweetened almond milk. Our frosting needed about 1 Tbsp of almond milk, but you can add more a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency. This frosting tastes so good, it will be difficult to keep little fingers (or your own!) away from the bowl.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Coloring your frosting without red dye requires stirring in one simple ingredient – beet juice! Here\u2019s where my second time saving tip comes in. To make this step extremely quick and simple, open a package of Love Beets ready-to-eat cooked beets<\/a> and instantly get all the juice you\u2019ll need. As a bonus, you\u2019ll have some yummy beets to use in a salad or other meal later.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t find Love Beets in your store, here are a few other options:<\/span><\/p>\n