Have you ever done a cookie exchange? When I was in grade school, I remember my mom organizing groups of friends to come over with plates of their favorite holiday cookies; everyone then took two of each kind, leaving with a fun mix of delicious sweet treats. These gluten-free gingerbread muffin top cookies are worthy of any exchange. Made with Greek yogurt, coconut sugar, and gluten-free flour, I’d say they are as (relatively) healthy as a cookie can get!
I found the original recipe for these cookies on www.wickedgoodkitchen.com, I of course made adaptations to fit my needs and lifestyle and the resulting cookies made me instantly yearn to have a cookie exchange of my own! One great alteration I made, was substituting whole milk Greek yogurt for cream cheese! The consistencies are similar as well as the tang, and added protein never hurts.
I’m calling these ‘muffin tops’ because they are a perfect blend of a cookie and a muffin. Enjoy them with a hot cup of coffee or steamy spiced tea.
Gluten-free Gingerbread Muffin Top Cookies
Makes 20 cookies
1 egg
1/2 c. Greek yogurt- whole milk
1/4 c. Butter
1/2 c. Coconut sugar
1/4 scant c. Brown sugar
1 T. Molasses
1 t. Vanilla
1 c. 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. ground ginger
1 t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Nutmeg
1/2 t. Pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t. Salt
1/2 c. Powdered sugar – for rolling (optional)
1. Begin by creaming together the butter and sugars. Once they are light and fluffy, add in the egg followed by the yogurt, molasses and vanilla. In a large bowl, stir the dry ingredients until well blended, then pour into the wet ingredients in two batches, making sure each addition is well incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Using a spoon, scoop out heaping tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into balls between the palms of your hands. Carefully roll each ball in powdered sugar before placing them on the trays, spacing them at least two inches apart. (If you want to skip this step and the added sugar, no problem!) Once all the dough has been used, roll the balls once more in powdered sugar before baking. You will notice that they really absorb the sugar.
4. Bake for 14 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them onto wire racks.
Storage: be sure and separate with parchment paper if you store them in more than one layer; these are very sticky cookies! Serve at room temperate, or chilled.
