SWEET POTATO COOKIES with VANILLA ICING, and Gluten Free To Boot!

 Delicious, warming, sweet, moist, seasonal, 'best cookie I ever ate,' 'can't stop eating them.'  These are just some of the adjectives and comments I received after coming up with a SWEET POTATO COOKIE recipe that is both gluten free and super delicious.  

I guess I am partial, in that I love sweet potatoes in just about any form.  But, these cookies have been a really nice addition to our family's cookie collection.  Easy and tasty...what more could we want, eh?

Sweet Potato Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups of gluten free flour, as always for cookies I use 
Featherlight Rice Blend
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 cup crisco shortening
1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 extra large egg, at room temp
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sweet potato puree


Directions

You can buy canned sweet potato puree, or you can do what I do.  I bake 2 medium sized seet potatoes in a shallow baking dish, skin and all, at 350 degrees for an hour or hour and a half.  I let them cool completely.  The skin easily is removed, and then I mash them with a potato masher.  How easy is that!  And it is just good-for-you whole sweet potato...no fillers.  Remember to mash well!  No lumps!  :  )  Also, make sure to remove any 'eyes' that might be under the skin of the potato.  You'll need a cup for this recipe.  Any left over, just add a bit of butter or maple syrup and warm up for a quick side dish that is healthy and scrumptuous.

I bake these at 350 to 375 depending on oven.  I like the 350 setting to control the eventual 'doneness' of my cookie.

So, to the directions.  Blend the dry ingredients all together in a bowl.  Whisk well to blend.  

In a mixer, cream the butter, crisco, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light anf fluffly.  Add the egg and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add the mashed sweet potato.   Blend until well incorporated.  Add in the dry ingredient blend, slowly, until well combined.  

Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Drop by tablespoons (heaping) onto the sheets.  I do 16 on a sheet.  Keep them spaced apart by about 2 inches.  Bake until they are lightly golden around the edges...I like them a bit darker, but i make each batch a bit different to appeal to the kids who like them lighter and more moist.  I say to keep a watch on the time.  I turn the sheets after 8 minutes and then reset the timer for 5 minutes and keep an eye on them until they are at the desired golden color.  

I eat them as they are, as well as ice them with my favorite vanilla icing.  **See my earlier post for 'Dot's Vanilla Icing/Frosting'.  

   The guys just love them, and Steve took some to work where they were a big hit.  Thanks to Bob and Russ for your kind words concerning these particualr cookies.  I'll send more!!  ;  )

Hope if you try these, you will enjoy them as much as we do.  Let me know if you do!  Thanks.

peace
-Scott