Recipes: Gluten-free lemon bars, biscuits, and chocolate chip cookies

Lemon Bars

Sunshine-yellow lemon bars are perfect anytime of year, really, but especially nice for Mother's Day. This gluten-free version features Cole's Blue Blend flour, and some hints to make your gluten-free baking a success, such as using a glass baking dish. Note that the crust needs to cool for 30 minutes before filling.

Crust:

• 1 cup Cole's Blue Blend
• ⅓ cup sugar
  
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• ¼ cup butter or dairy free butter

Filling:

• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1½ cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• cup Cole's Blue Blend

Make the Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a GLASS 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the flour, sugar and salt.
3. With the mixer running on low, add the butter one tablespoon at a time.
4. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes until a shortbread dough forms.
5. Press the dough into an even layer in the prepared pan.
6. Bake the crust for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Let the crust cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before adding the filling.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour.
2. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and bake for 20-25 minutes, until it jiggles slightly when shaken. Chill before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Cole's Bakery and Cafe.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2½ cups Cole's Blue Label Flour Blend
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1½ cups brown sugar
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 2 cups chocolate chips

1. Whisk Cole's Blue Label Blend, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum together in large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk sugars, melted butter, egg, milk and vanilla until well combined.
3. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
4. Chill overnight.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place spoonfuls (approximately 1 tablespoon each) of dough onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart and bake 10 minutes or until golden.

Biscuits

• 2 cups (280 g) Cole's Red Label Blend
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup cold butter, chopped
• ¾ cup plus cup heavy cream

1. Mix Cole's Red Label Blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt well. Add the chopped butter, and toss to coat it in the dry ingredients. Rub the large pieces into the flour mixture. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the cream, and mix until the dough begins to come together.
2. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper and press into a disk.
3. Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the dough and roll out into a rectangle that is about 1 inch thick.
4. Remove the top piece of parchment paper, add a little flour, and fold the dough in half, then roll out to 1 inch thick. Do this three times to get the layers in your biscuit.
5. Use a biscuit cutter to cut rounds of dough, placing the rounds about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes. While they're chilling, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
6. Remove biscuits from freezer and bake for approximately 20 minutes.