Chocolate Cherry Cookies {Gluten Free}

I love Christmas cookies and I love sharing them when people drop by to visit! With more and more people eating a gluten free diet for health reasons, I like to make sure that I have a few treats made for my gluten free friends and family that might pop by. This year I used my tried and true Chocolate Dream cookie recipe to whip up these cherry cookies....but with one simple change.

Williams Sonoma very kindly sent me a bag of their Cup 4 Cup Flour to try in some of my Christmas baking this year. I have never tried a gluten-fee flour alternative before, so I was intrigued to try out a new-to-me flour. To use Cup 4 Cup, you simply need to replace regular flour with an equal amount of Cup 4 Cup in the recipe to make it gluten free. Cup 4 Cup is a blend of rice flours and cornstarch and is recommended as a gluten-free replacement for all purpose flour for baking in quick breads, scones, muffins, cookies and biscuits. So I put it to the test with a favourite chocolate cookie recipe.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies 

{makes 3-4 dozen}

Ingredients: 

2 1/4 cups cups Cup 4 Cup Flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips.

1 cup glazed red cherries, cut in half

Directions: 

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

1. COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. 

2. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Add cherry half to the top of each cookie.

2. BAKE for 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are puffed. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

I found these cookies turned out great and there was no difference between using regular all-purpose flour and Cup 4 Cup flour in this recipe. The cookies were chewy on the oustide, soft on the inside and just as deliciously good! The kids thought so too!

And although we all taste-tested some from this batch of cookies, I did manage to put some away for Christmas visitors who may be dropping by in the next few days!

This same chocolate cookies recipe can also be used to make:

Peppermint Bark Cookies

How is your Christmas baking coming along?

Have you made any gluten-free treats this season?

Thank you so much to Williams Sonoma for providing me with Cup 4 Cup Flour for purposes of review. As always, I only work with brands/products that I use in my own home and all opinions are my own.

This post is linked to:
Inspire Me Please, I'm Lovin It, Inspiration Gallery, The Party Bunch, Link Party Palooza,