First, we designated separate cooking areas, bowls, and utensils for our ingredients. We did this in order to make sure that none of the gluten-containing ingredients were mixed with the gluten-free cookies. Next, we added butter, eggs, water, and vanilla extract to our pre-made cookie batters. In separate bowls, we mixed all of these ingredients in order to make the dough. (You can watch our video to see this process!)
After forming the gluten-free dough, I set our oven temperature to 350 degrees Farenheit. (Most American kitchens have ovens for cooking. Josh and I always thought this was typical of most homes across the world. Then we moved to Vietnam, and we quickly learned that most families do not have ovens in Vietnam. What about in Sudan—do many families use ovens to cook?)
After preheating the oven, I placed spoonfuls of the gluten-free dough onto an aluminum baking sheet. Then, I slid the baking sheet into the oven and let the cookies bake for 11 minutes.
But Josh had a few more steps to go through before his cookies were ready to bake. After mixing the dough, Josh placed wheat flour down on the counter and rolled his dough out flat. (You can watch our second video to see this process! I skipped these steps because wheat flour is not safe to use for people who have a gluten allergy.)
Once his dough was rolled out, Josh coated the Christmas-themed cookie cutters in flour to prevent sticking. Then, he pressed the various shapes into the dough to form candy canes, snowmen, gingerbread people, Santa Clauses, and Christmas trees. After “stamping” his cookies, Josh removed the excess dough and placed each of his cut cookies onto an aluminum baking sheet.
