The GFCF Recipe Experience: Little Grandmom's Polish Butter Cookies

I was fortunate to grow up with my maternal Grandmother living with us. She was the consummate baker, especially around Christmas time. She would bake all sorts of cookies and then hide them away in her bedroom. Then, after supper each night during the holidays, she would go to her room and come back with a plate full of cookies for the family to enjoy. One of her favorites was Polish Butter Cookies. The cookies were in all sorts of different shapes and topped with dried fruit or nuts, or just left plain with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar.



How fortunate for me that I was given my Grandmother's box of recipes when she passed away in 1995.



My GFCF version is an adaptation of the recipe Grandmom used, which was cut out of a newspaper (probably the Camden (NJ) Courier Post) around 50 - 60 years ago. It is the perfect recipe for getting the kids involved - each of mine took turns cutting out the shapes they wanted. We didn't used nuts or dried fruit, but we did top some with buttercream icing.



And hopefully, we built a lasting Christmas memory, just like my memory of Grandmom's cookies when I was a child.







POLISH BUTTER COOKIES

adapted from Little Grandmom's recipe





Ingredients



1 cup GFCF butter (I used Earthbalance Buttery Sticks)

3/4 cup sugar

5 hard-cooked egg yolks, sieved (I passed mine through a fine grater)

1 tsp GF vanilla

2 cups GF all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 tsp xanthan gum)

1/2 tsp salt

1 whole egg mixed with 1 tsp. CF milk (I used almond milk)



In a bowl, combine the flour, xanthan gum, and salt. Set aside.



Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, and mix to combine. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add in the flour and salt mixture, and combine until a dough is formed. Press the dough into 2 1" disks, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.



Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, lightly scramble the egg and the milk.



Roll the dough out on a floured surface to about 1/4" thickness. Using floured cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 1" apart. Brush the tops with the egg and milk mixture, then sprinkle the tops with cinnamon and sugar. If you want, top the cookies with chopped nuts, or poppy seeds.



Bake the cookies at 350° for about 12 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool (they are a little fragile).



Depending on the cutters used, makes approximately 4 dozen.