Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread Cookies Recipe

Made these the other night to take to Bubba's Court of Honor for Boy Scouts.  We have an Assistant Scout Master who also has gluten issues, and I try to be sure that he has something safe for him to enjoy.  So, in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day...

SPH Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread Cookies
1 cup butter, softened and at room temperature
1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups Pamela's Baking Mix
1/2 cup currants or raisins (more or less to taste - optional)

Glaze
1/4 cup Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Frosting
water, milk or cream

Preheat oven to 350.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla, and beat to combine.  Stir in baking mix until well mixed.  Fold in currants.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets (I used my cookie scooper).  Using your fingers or the bottom of a glass, flatten into round discs.  Be sure to try to make them all about the same thickness.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool before glazing or frosting, and taste them first to decide which you'd rather do.

To make the glaze, put frosting in a small mixing bowl.  Add water, milk or cream a little bit at a time.  Whisk until frosting is loosened up and somewhat liquid.  For me, this was about 2-3 teaspoons.  Go slow - if your glaze gets too thin, you can either add more frosting, or you can also try adding some powdered sugar.  Try not to get it too thin, though.  To glaze your cookies, using a soup spoon, drizzle a little glaze in the center of the cookie.  In a circular motion, start here and work your way toward the edge of the cookie.  I left a little space at the edges so the glaze wouldn't drip off.  At least that was my intention.  Gravity and glaze often decide differently.

These are sooooo buttery and rich tasting, but still having that little hint of salt that really good soda bread has.  Use currants or raisins if that's what you like - I like mine with currants, but either regular or golden raisins would be just as good.  Same with the glazing.  You can also just frost them with plain white frosting. You be the judge - they will be insanely delicious no matter what you decide.

By the way, that Assistant Scout Master with the gluten issues took 5 or 6 of these home for a snack on Tuesday night.  He said they were delicious.  He's a Boy Scout - you can trust him!

Enjoy!