One week to go before Christmas and it's time to preheat the oven. Whether it's baking cookies for friends and neighbors, treating yourself at the end of a hectic day or simply warming the house with smells of sugar and spice, do yourself a favor and pull out the gluten-free flour and mix up a holiday confection.

1. Chocolate Chip Muffins (photo at top)

I'm not a baker, by all means, but sometimes I get lucky. In a desperate attempt to entertain the kids earlier this week when snow and ice kept them indoors and out of school, I pulled out all my recipe books and decided we were going to make muffins from scratch. Even if they turned out awful, I was convinced it would be a fun activity that would keep us busy for a while. I was right about the fun. And fortunately I was wrong about them turning out awful.

Even with two rambunctious boys in the kitchen, and with my limited baking skills, these muffins turned out to be scrumptious, chocolate masterpieces. The kids had fun measuring the ingredients and scooping the batter into the muffin tins (the batter is thick, so it was easy for them to make it to the cups without spilling). We have been eating them all week as on-the-go snacks. I can only imagine how good they would be Christmas morning.

This version is adapted from Carol Fenster's Giant Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe in "Gluten-Free Quick and Easy." Make these now and freeze them -- you won't be sorry.

Ingredients:
2 cups gluten-free flour blend (such as Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup cane sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 cup milk (we used Almond Breeze)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips (we used Enjoy Life)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with paper cupcake tins.
Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on medium until mixture thickens slightly. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each about 2/3 full. Makes about 17 muffins. Bake 27-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Serve warm or cool completely and freeze in plastic storage bag.




2. Cutout cookies

My little one has been pretty excited about Santa this year. Every night he asks me if we should set out cookies and milk. I decided I'd better have something prepared for the occasion. I found a box of 123 Gluten Free Sugar Cookie mix (which is also dairy, peanut and soy free) $1 off at Kroger and decided it was time to act. Even at $1 off, the price was steap, but the results proved I didn't waste my money. The cookies were soft and buttery and delicious.

Warning:Follow the directions carefully if you use this brand. I put the dough in the fridge overnight and cut the cookies a little thicker (see photo above), as the dough is VERY fragile. Also, you'll want to use a Silpat and a razor thin metal spatula for the same reason. The box says the dough yields 40 cookies, but it is closer to 30 unless you have a super small cookie cutter.

For frosting, I used the basic confectioner's sugar recipe found on the back of most powdered sugar packages. Here it is if it's not:

In medium saucepan, mix 2 cups confectioner's sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk or milk substitute. Heat on low until sugar melts, whisking and adding 1 tablespoon milk at time until desired consistency. Turn off heat. Will thicken substantially as it cools. I like to spoon some into a few bowls, add color and let it cool slightly before frosting. As it cools completely, it should harden on top of cookie.

These were a hit at the school's holiday party and we will be sure to leave one for Santa!

3. Rice Crispies Tried and True

Whether bringing a treat to a holiday party, keeping special snacks on hand to make the season bright or just want a project to do with the kids, you can't beat Rice Crispy Treats. It's so simple to melt a bag of marshmallows (Kraft is gluten-free), a stick of butter (or Earth Balance) and mix in a full box of gluten-free rice cereal. I let the kids pour in the stuff. One day I will let them form little animals or shapes, but this batch was for a preschool party!

Here's some fun things to do with the mix, but I simply spread the mix into a Pyrex and refrigerated overnight. In the morning, I used a spatula to pry the whole rectangle out of the pan and plopped it on my cutting board and cut the whole shabam into squares. Easy and fool-proof. TIP: Dip a wooden spoon in ice water and use to spread into pan. The cold, wet surface won't stick to the gooey mix.

Remember, Kellogg's Rice Krispies are NOT gluten-free as they contain barley. Try Erewon or Nature's Path found at Hiller's and Whole Foods. Also beware the label "wheat free." Some organic brands are wheat-free, but NOT gluten-free.

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Now that I have a few treats up my sleeves, I can turn off the oven and wrap a few presents. I'm not Betty Crocker yet, but I'm trying to blend in for the holidays. Santa has cookies, the kids are done with their parties and I'm hanging up the apron for now. I still haven't mastered fudge or complex cookies yet, but I've got the basics down.

I have no complaints so far.