Christmas baking season looms. So many cookie recipes to try, and so little time . . . This was a recipe from Canadian Living a few Christmases back. It adapted beautifully to gluten-free flour.
4 egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/3 cup whole almonds
1/3 cup pistachios
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Line bottom and sides of a 9 x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar 2 tbsp at a time, until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla.
In a small separate bowl, whisk together flours and xanthan gum. Sprinkle half of flour over the egg white mixture and fold in. Repeat with remaining flour. Sprinkle with almonds, pistachios, raisins, currants, and cranberries; fold in. Scrape into prepared loaf pan; smooth top.
Bake in centre of 350F oven until firm and pale golden, about 35 minutes. Let cool on rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and peel off paper. Let cool completely.
Using serrated knife, level top. Cut crosswise into about 1/8” thick slices. Arrange, 1/2 inch apart, on cookie pans lined with parchment paper. Bake one pan at a time at 300F, turning cookies once halfway through, until crisp and golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool on pans, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen.
