This post is in partnership with World Market
‘Tis the season to be in the kitchen — or maybe that’s every season! It’s nearly two years since we finished our kitchen remodel (our contractor even installed the Dutch door on Christmas Eve and the final touches were completed after the new year).
This December is the second time we’ve had a fully finished kitchen to use and decorate before the holidays. It’s become my favorite room to make festive. One of the first things we did to get the kitchen ready for winter was go on a search for new Christmas cookie cutters. Priorities, right? We found some beautiful copper cutters in the baking section at World Market. We love collecting cookie cutters, but mostly we collect them because we enjoy baking (and eating) cute cookies.
With family members who follow gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan diets, our baking habits have evolved over the years — but we make it work. We don’t eat a lot of sweets, but baking together and sharing an occasional treat is a joy.
Last weekend we set aside a festive family day. After coffee at one of our favorite spots (Storyville), we stopped by the local garden center, which is filled with pretty holiday displays (and even reindeer!). Then we came home to bake, decorate the kitchen, and watch a movie together.
We also picked up some colorful measuring spoons and cups at World Market because most of our old sets were missing pieces — it was time to upgrade. World Market had so many cute things that a few extras found their way into our cart.
Green measuring spoons / Similar Cookie Cutters / Similar rolling pin
We found a gluten-free gingerbread cookie recipe online and adapted it to be dairy-free and vegan. I’ll share our adapted version below. The cookies turned out adorable — we frosted some, which made them extra delicious, and everyone in the house enjoyed a few treats.
Similar Paper Snowflakes
We had planned to finish decorating the kitchen that day, but ran out of time before the movie. We always think we can do more in a day than we actually can — anyone else? The next day we unpacked the jumbo paper stars we’d bought at World Market and created a whimsical star (or snowflake) display above the counters. It was a simple touch, but it made the kitchen feel magical.
Gluten Free | Dairy Free | Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
We adapted the recipe we found and used the version below.
Bake at 350°F for 9–10 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 2½ cups gluten-free 1-to-1 baking blend
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 stick vegan buttery spread (we used an Earth Balance buttery stick)
- ⅔ cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses
- ¼ cup applesauce
Directions:
- Mix the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the vegan butter until creamy.
- Add the coconut sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in the molasses and applesauce until blended and smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Beat until combined and the dough is no longer tacky. If needed, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough is manageable.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to about 1/8″–1/4″ thickness, or dust the surface lightly with flour.
- Cut shapes with cookie cutters and place them on a prepared baking sheet (parchment paper or lightly greased with vegan spread), leaving an inch or two between cookies.
- Bake for 9–10 minutes, until the edges are set.
- Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
- Icing: Mix powdered sugar with a small amount of non-dairy milk and a touch of vanilla until you reach a pipeable, glue-like consistency.
Decorate: We used a sandwich bag with a small corner snipped off to pipe icing on the cookies.
The plates and mugs we used are also from World Market. I love having charming dishes for everyday use and for special family moments.
World Market had festive tins and boxes, so we picked up a few for gifting baked goods or sending treats home with guests.
All in all, it was a cozy, festive, and tasty couple of days at our house.
What’s your favorite treat to bake around the holidays?
Pin for later!