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Enjoy Life Cookie Cookbook & Thumbprint Cookie Recipe

IAtodd

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IAtodd Rookie
IAtodd
Posted

Hi all,

We recently purhased the EnjoyLife cookie cookbook and have been attempting to make cookies usingseveral of the recipes, but they've all been flops. e.g., The thumbprint cookies I made last night spread out across my cookie sheet... The first half dozen balls seemed too dry when I pushed my thumb in (they cracked), so I added a tiny bit more milk to the dough and then the rest of the balls seemed to have the right consistency, but all of the cookies, including the dryer ones, spread all over and didn't look anything like the photo in the book. Also, my wife has tried making 2 kinds of bars, and they both ended up with that doesn't-matter-how-long-you-bake-it gummy nastiness that we've all experienced. We've been baking gluten-free for 2+ years with much success, so it's not like I don't know what we're doing.... I just cannot fathom that someone would have compiled a bunch of nasty, useless recipes into a cookbook...

Thanks in advance for any insights y'all might be able to share. Oh, and if anyone has a recipe for edible, presentable thumbprint cookies, PLEASE pass it along.

IAtodd

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MagpieWrites Rookie
MagpieWrites
Posted
I just cannot fathom that someone would have compiled a bunch of nasty, useless recipes into a cookbook...

Ummm.... at the risk of being a downer, sadly, this COULD be the case. (I'm staring at a rather large pile of cookbooks gathering dust in the corner of my office as I type. I'd drop them off at the library or the local used book store... but feel too guilty about passing on the misfortune of wasting ingredients, time, sanity, etc that I went through when I tried to use them. Its like trying to dispose of hazardous waste!) I'm always shocked when I buy a cookbook only to end up staring at it in a blind rage as I wonder "Did anyone actually COOK any of this before it was published?" My go to of last resort is to print off a recipe and hand it to a friend I know who also loves to cook. I try to not prejudice them about my issues, just ask if they could give it a whirl and tell me how it went for them.

If I get a phone call wanting to know if I just don't like them anymore that I'd subject them to something so bad - its the book. If the call tells me how much they love it and can they borrow the whole thing? Well. It's me.

Sounds like you have the experience and know-how to troubleshoot recipes - so I'd be willing to bet you got a bum book.

purple Community Regular
purple
Posted
Hi all,

We recently purhased the EnjoyLife cookie cookbook and have been attempting to make cookies usingseveral of the recipes, but they've all been flops. e.g., The thumbprint cookies I made last night spread out across my cookie sheet... The first half dozen balls seemed too dry when I pushed my thumb in (they cracked), so I added a tiny bit more milk to the dough and then the rest of the balls seemed to have the right consistency, but all of the cookies, including the dryer ones, spread all over and didn't look anything like the photo in the book. Also, my wife has tried making 2 kinds of bars, and they both ended up with that doesn't-matter-how-long-you-bake-it gummy nastiness that we've all experienced. We've been baking gluten-free for 2+ years with much success, so it's not like I don't know what we're doing.... I just cannot fathom that someone would have compiled a bunch of nasty, useless recipes into a cookbook...

Thanks in advance for any insights y'all might be able to share. Oh, and if anyone has a recipe for edible, presentable thumbprint cookies, PLEASE pass it along.

IAtodd

Open Original Shared Link has a recipe for thumbprints but I haven't tried it...

IAtodd Rookie
IAtodd
Posted
  • Author

Thanks purple! I see that the eatingglutenfree recipe has you partially bake the cookie before filling it, and that was one idea I had... thought it might help the cookie keep its shape. I've also seen some mention of refrigerating the dough before baking. I'm thinking I might dare try again with both recipes (keeping the nuts out of the eatingglutenfree recipe since my son is allergic to them as well. Or I might try to hybridize the two recipes and see what happens. Thanks again!

Ahorsesoul Enthusiast
Ahorsesoul
Posted

I really have not had good luck using actual gluten free recipes either. Now I just use a regular poison recipe. I use Pamela's for the flour. I'm really picky about how things taste so I guess I don't want the taste of a gluten free recipe. I want it as real tasting as possible.

purple Community Regular
purple
Posted
I really have not had good luck using actual gluten free recipes either. Now I just use a regular poison recipe. I use Pamela's for the flour. I'm really picky about how things taste so I guess I don't want the taste of a gluten free recipe. I want it as real tasting as possible.

Have you ever read Karina's tips? She says to flavor things more...extra spice, more vanilla, use brown sugar and so on....

purple Community Regular
purple
Posted
Thanks purple! I see that the eatingglutenfree recipe has you partially bake the cookie before filling it, and that was one idea I had... thought it might help the cookie keep its shape. I've also seen some mention of refrigerating the dough before baking. I'm thinking I might dare try again with both recipes (keeping the nuts out of the eatingglutenfree recipe since my son is allergic to them as well. Or I might try to hybridize the two recipes and see what happens. Thanks again!

You are welcome, I hope they turn out! Let us know so we can follow in your footsteps...I mean thumbprints! lol

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purple Community Regular
purple
Posted

I found this one to add to this thread:

Open Original Shared Link

It has nuts but someone else might be interested.

There are photos and you might be able to pick up some tips.

Another idea is to google gluten-free hamantaschen, they are much the same thing. Some recipes you cut and some you just roll into balls.

lpellegr Collaborator
lpellegr
Posted

IMHO the Enjoy Life cookies are the nastiest of all the gluten-free cookies out there, so I'm not surprised their cookbook cookies aren't good. Thanks for warning the rest of us to stay away. Sorry you had all that trouble - it really stinks when you put all that work into it and end up with a plate full of disappointment.

IAtodd Rookie
IAtodd
Posted
  • Author
IMHO the Enjoy Life cookies are the nastiest of all the gluten-free cookies out there, so I'm not surprised their cookbook cookies aren't good. Thanks for warning the rest of us to stay away. Sorry you had all that trouble - it really stinks when you put all that work into it and end up with a plate full of disappointment.

I'd have to agree on the Enjoy Life packaged cookies, but sadly, my son is allergic to soy and nuts too, so most of the other packages cookies aren't safe so I end up being extra motivated to make my own. I suppose taking the eggs out of a cookie is going to make for baking problems...

purple Community Regular
purple
Posted
I'd have to agree on the Enjoy Life packaged cookies, but sadly, my son is allergic to soy and nuts too, so most of the other packages cookies aren't safe so I end up being extra motivated to make my own. I suppose taking the eggs out of a cookie is going to make for baking problems...

Watch for gluten-free/vegan recipes.

Karina has good, easy to sub recipes. Try this one:

Open Original Shared Link

You could add dried fruit in place of the chips. I reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup.

I made my dd a mini pizza cookie with some of the dough for her birthday.

You could try it just for fun. Put dough on parchment paper in a round cake pan. Make your own frosting and decorate as you plz.

  • 2 weeks later...
IAtodd Rookie
IAtodd
Posted
  • Author

Hi Purple et al...

Thanks for the suggestion on the Hamantaschen! I tried this recipe and made thumbprint cookies instead of the triangles, and they turned out great:

Open Original Shared Link

I ended up baking them for an extra 5 minutes or so, and I used sweet rice flour for coating the dough balls. I also used low-sugar Smuckers raspberry jam (not one of the jams in the recipe). I haven't decided whether the cookies need to be sprinkled with powdered sugar... Probably not worth the extra putziness.

Tomorrow I tackle gingerbread men! Too bad I can't figure out which one of the 5 recipes I printed out last year I actually used...

mommida Enthusiast
mommida
Posted

Enjoy life can be a total lifesaver for people with more food allergies than gluten!

My daughter has to eliminate the top 8, peas, chickpeas, beans and gluten. There goes all the texture component of most foods.

If you don't want that cook book, I'll take it. I'll head your warning and make some changes. I'm learning how to replace eggs and it is difficult because you can only really replace two and depending on the recipe you have to vary the method.

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