Recipe: Thin Minty Cookies (like Girl Scout cookies and homemade gluten-free all-purpose flour)

THIN MINTY COOKIES
(gluten-free and dairy-free)



"After spotting kids selling boxes of the Girl Scout Cookies on the streets of Brooklyn, I knew I had to reclaim my childhood memory of snacking on Thin Mints. This recipe yields the perfect mint chocolate cookie, and I show you how to get the shiny coating just right."

1 cup My Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (recipe follows)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) shortening, at room temperature
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
2 pounds dairy-free semisweet coating chocolate, such as Guittard or Callebaut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with racks in the middle and upper third. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and shortening on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to medium-low and beat in the egg and egg yolk, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined.

Shape the dough into a disk. Working on a confectioners' sugar-dusted piece of parchment paper, roll out the dough until about 1/8-inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.

Using a 1 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out cookies and place 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheets. Reroll any scraps and cut out more cookies. Freeze the cutouts for about 15 minutes.

Bake, switching the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until firm around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, bring water to a low simmer in a double boiler. Place two thirds of the chocolate in the double boiler and melt to 115 degrees F. Stir in the remaining one third of chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes; stir to combine. Let the chocolate cool down to 90 degrees F.

Submerge a cookie into the melted chocolate and turn to coat. Shake off any excess and place on parchment paper. Repeat to coat all the cookies, reheating the chocolate to 90 degrees F as needed. Let the cookies set for at least 2 hours. (The cookies will keep in an airtight container layered between sheets of parchment paper for up to 1 week.)

Makes about 60 (1-inch) cookies

MY GLUTEN-FREE ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
Makes about 10 cups

6 cups (870 g) white rice flour
3 cups (375 g) tapioca flour
1 1/2 cups (246 g) potato starch
1 tablespoon (9 g) salt
2 tablespoons (18 g) xanthan gum

In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Transfer to an airtight storage container. (The flour keeps in a cool, dry place or refrigerated for up to 6 months.)

Source: Silvana's Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Kitchen by Silvana Nardone