Holiday sugar cookies.
There is almost no better smell than fresh-baked cookies. They smell and taste so sweet! And as soon as we took our first bites, we were buzzing with excitement from all that sugar. Sitting in our kitchen, enjoying these soft, buttery, sugary cookies, we felt extremely warm and happy.
Before baking our cookies, Josh and I ventured to the local supermarket to buy pre-made sugar cookie batter. The batter is mostly constituted of flour, which forms the base of the cookie dough. We purchased two separate mixes: one is a “gluten-free” sugar cookie mix, while the other is a standard sugar cookie mix. In recent years, an increasing number of Americans have been diagnosed with gluten allergies. As of today, it is estimated that three million Americans are living with this food allergy. Gluten is a protein that is found in certain grains, including wheat, barley, and rye. When a person with a gluten allergy consumes these grains, they become very ill.
To combat this problem, many food companies are now making “gluten-free” products. And because most cookie batters are made using wheat flour, new recipes have been developed which substitute other types of flours that are safe for people with gluten allergies to eat—such as rice, corn, and tapioca flours.
At the supermarket, we also purchased pre-made vanilla icing; sprinkles; red, green, and black gel for decorating; as well as butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Once we arrived home from the supermarket, Josh and I were ready to start baking.
