homemade 100 Grand Bars

Guys. Did you know that Thanksgiving is just hours away?! 

I don't know how you feel about Thanksgiving, but I love everything about it.

Food. Family. Traditions. Food.

That's what I am talking about!

This year, Thanksgiving is going to be a very interesting one.

Rather than have a traditional meal of Turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and pies--we are going to Las Vegas. (Vegas, baby!)

Bring on the casinos, the strip, and the pool hotties! (Haha, just kidding!)

Actually, we already celebrated Thanksgiving this past Sunday.
It was lovely, of course.
But you know... I am so over Thanksgiving that I think I will start decorating for Christmas tomorrow.
Don't judge.

Oh yeah, speaking of Thanksgiving…this treat is sure to please all your guests.
It's super duper easy.
And who doesn't love that chewy, crispy, perfect 100 Grand Candy Bar?

Homemade [Copycat] 100 Grand Bars

gluten-free

30 unwrapped Kraft caramels, at room temperature
1 bag milk chocolate chips (12 oz)
3/4 cup crisp rice cereal


DIRECTIONS

1. Flatten out all the caramels into small rectangles (about 1/4 inch thick), using your warm hands. Lay out all the caramels onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper.
2. Start melting the chocolate chips in a double-boiler, on medium-high heat. Stir until smooth, but make sure not to overheat. If chocolate starts to clump, stir in a teaspoon of coconut oil.
3. Remove chocolate from heat. Stir in cereal.
4. Dip each caramel into the chocolate mixture, using a spoon. Make sure to coat well. When done, lay onto cookie sheet covered with wax paper.
5. Cool until firm. For faster cooling, chill in the freezer.

gluten-free Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

Just because something tastes delicious doesn't mean that it has to be bad for you.

Nope.

Take this cookie, for example...

It's gluten-free and dairy-free.

And guess what?

It tastes amazing!

Remember these cookies from yesterday?

Well let's just say that curiosity got the best of me and I just HAD to make up a gluten-free version of them.

Yep, I got a weakness for all things healthy.

I'm pretty pathetic, I know.

Come over here you tasty little cookie you...

Lofthouse-style Sugar Cookies (Gluten-free and Dairy-free)

makes 2-3 dozen cookies

For the cookies:

• 3 1/2 cups sweet white rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (do not melt)
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup dairy-free sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional, but acts as a great binder)

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil (do not melt)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (this extract makes all the difference)
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon almond milk (you may not need this at all)

Food coloring (optional)

Sprinkles (optional)

1. To make the cookie dough: in a large bowl, whisk together the flour(s), baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the coconut oil until creamy. Cream the coconut oil and sugar together at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients and until just combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Flatten dough into a rectangle about 1½ inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or for at least two hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
5. Lightly flour the countertop with and the top of the dough with rice flour. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters (or a mason jar lid), cut out the cookies and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 7 minutes, until cookies are slightly golden around the edges. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Cool cookies completely before frosting them.
6. To make the frosting: in a large bowl, beat the coconut oil until creamy (with an electric mixer or a stand mixer). Cream together the coconut oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Slowly beat in powdered sugar and the pinch of salt. Once smooth and creamy, add in almond milk (if needed...you don't want your frosting to be runny). Beat at medium-high speed for a minute or two until light and fluffy. Add food coloring, if desired, and beat until combined.
7. Once cookies have cooled completely, frost and add sprinkles.

Devin's parents just got back from a cruise.

And while they were there, his mom bought me some real Mexican vanilla.

It is amazing.

Try it.

Your life will never be the same again.

Your coconut oil will most likely be chunky, so be sure to get it nice and creamy before adding anything else to it, mmmmkaaay?  :)

The first time around that I made this frosting, it looked too thick, so I added in some almond milk.

Unfortunately, I added too much almond milk...

Seeing that my frosting was runny, I decided to add in a dash of xanthan gum.

PLEASE don't do that.

DON'T add xanthum gum to your frosting.

Just trust me on this one, it's bad news bears.

Xanthan gum = glue.
Great for cookies, BAD for frosting.

Take two: no xanthan gum. MUCH better.

Yellow food coloring.
Add some pizazz.

I must share with you this quick little story.

I made these gluten-free sugar cookies and regular sugar cookies on the same weekend.

After tasting both of them, I thought to myself: Wow! Is it just me, or do the gluten-free / dairy-free cookies taste better than the regular ones?

In order to find an answer, I decided to perform an experiment.

I dropped off both types of cookies at Devin's house (for his little sister's--Panda's--birthday) and then brought both types home with me to Wyoming. I never told anyone which one was which. 

The first person to try the cookies was Devin.

Devin: "I like the yellow-frosted cookies better."

Me: "Okay."

Devin: "Those are the normal white flour ones, right?"

Me: "What do you think?"

Devin: "Well they taste better, so they must be the gluten-full ones."

Me: "Nope. The yellow ones are gluten-free and dairy-free. The pink cookies are the regular type."

Devin: "WHAT?! No way!! I think that is the first gluten-free dessert I have liked better than the regular type of dessert."

The reactions I got from my family concurred this truth.

They loved the gluten-free ones a lot more than the normal sugar cookies.

A few days later, we talked to Devin's family.

Me: "So what did you think of the cookies?"

Them: "They were so good."

Me: Looking on the counter, "Why are there still pink-frosted cookies and the yellow-frosted ones are all gone?"

Them: "We loved the yellow-frosted ones. What made them different from the pink cookies?"

Me: "The yellow cookies were gluten and dairy free."

Them: "Really? Wow. We would have never guessed that."

So...what is the conclusion of this experiment?

The gluten-free and dairy-free sugar cookies definitely WON!

By a long-shot.

But are you surprised?

I hope so.

Lofthouse-style Soft Sugar Cookies

Do you remember those fat, soft, pink-frosted sugar cookies you could buy at the gas station?

The ones that were the size of a small child?

You know what I am talking about...

Those ones.

Yeah, they were so goooood.

Well, you are in luck today.

Because they decided to pop in to say "hello."

Hey good-looking.

Yeah, I'm talking to you.

You're so cute.

So cute that I could just eat you up...

Woops. That wasn't supposed to happen.

It's the sprinkles' fault.

If they didn't make you look so pretty, I wouldn't have been tempted.

Yep, sounds like a good excuse to me.

Lofthouse-style Soft Sugar Cookies

makes 5-6 dozen cookies

For the Cookies:

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1½ cups sour cream

For the Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream

Food coloring, optional

Sprinkles, optional

1. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Dough will be a little sticky, but that is okay. Divide dough into two sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1½ inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or for at least two hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
5. Lightly flour the countertop and the top of the dough. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out the cookies and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 7 minutes, until cookies are slightly golden around the edges. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Cool cookies completely before frosting.
6. To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and vanilla extract. Slowly beat in powdered sugar and the pinch of salt. Once smooth and creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat at medium-high speed for a minute or two until light and fluffy. Add food coloring, if desired, and beat until combined.
7. Once cookies have cooled completely, frost and add sprinkles, if desired. Allow frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container.

These cookies are often referred to as Granny B's Sugar Cookies or Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

I found the recipe over at Two Peas & Their Pod. I just think their blog is so adorable :)

Yummy in my tummy.