Dreams and Deliciousness: KidLit Confections Gooey Butter Cookies

Sometimes, when I tell people about my #KidLitConfections, they think that a book has to be about food, or at least somewhat food-related to inspire a book-themed confection. If you've been here for a while, you'll know this simply isn't true. But sometimes I read a deliciously funny story that is about food, and these can be even more challenging to pair with a perfect recipe!

(The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)

Today's book felt like it should have included a recipe (or two) for the mouthwatering creations that the main character bakes in the story, but unfortunately it didn't. (At least, the advance reader copy I had didn't include a recipe--please correct me if the full version does!!) But I did verify that the recipes referenced in the story are actual recipes that exist in real-life, and rather than trying to create a recipe that is already very likely quite delicious, I am pairing this book with a cookie that gives the same vibes as the winning recipe in the story. 

The Book:

GABBY TORRES IS THE BEST WINNER EVER by Angela Dominguez

Description from the Publisher:

In the second book in the Gabby Torres graphic novel series, nine-year-old Gabby discovers the true meaning of winning when she enters a baking contest, perfect for fans of THE CUPCAKE DIARIES and DORY FANTASMAGORY.

Gabby has a new idea: now that she’s finally learned how to not burn her cookies, she will become the best baker the world has ever seen!

The local grocery store's baking competition is the perfect opportunity to show everyone what she’s made of… winner material!

All she needs to do is buy books for research and baking supplies... and more baking supplies... and more baking supplies... oh dear.

What will happen when her money, and her parents’ patience, runs out?

This heartwarming series is written and illustrated by Angela Dominguez, the New York Times bestselling illustrator who created the beloved Stella Díaz series. Gabby Torres is tenacious, bold, relatable, and hilarious, reminiscent of favorite characters like Junie B. Jones, Clementine, and Ramona Quimby.

My Thoughts:

Gabby‘s best friends, Priya and Kat, win competitions (Kat for bouldering and Priya for an essay she wrote)… And Gabby wants to win something too! But what?

When she sees a poster advertising a kids’ baking competition, she’s determined to win that! But even though she’s already a good baker, coming up with the perfect, winning recipe is hard. Especially when recipe after recipe ends in disaster in the kitchen!

I’m a sucker for baking-related storylines, especially when there’s a contest involved! (I really wished the recipe for Gabby‘s sugar cream pie had been included in the back of the book… But it’s probably a recipe that exists somewhere. So I will just Google it.)

I loved Gabby spunk and determination. (She reminds me of a young me—we even have the same hobbies: reading and baking delicious desserts!) And the illustrations were simple and adorable. I think this is a series that will resonate with fans of Tara Daman’s “All Four Stars” series, with whimsical and fun illustrations reminiscent of Jeff Benton’s “Dear Dumb Diary” series.

The Recipe:

This was another of my cookies created for a missionary who wrote me a letter. I've never met Kami Lewis in person, but she heard about my promise to send cookies to missionaries who write to me about the daily miracles they see. She decided to try it out and wrote me a beautiful letter and requested cookies based on the flavor of Bluebell Gooey Butter Cake ice cream. Talk about a challenge!! First of all, I can't get the Bluebell brand of ice cream here... and even if I could, I wouldn't be able to eat it in order to figure out the flavor of this particular variety. (I checked the ingredients online, and it contains palm kernel oil, which I'm allergic to.) So I had to find some of my own spunk and determination and figure out another plan! 

In my research, I discovered that the Bluebell Gooey Butter Cake ice cream is based on the famous dessert from St. Louis. Which I had never heard of before, but I found several recipes for! So my first step was to bake a Gooey Butter Cake. Or two. 

I had to try a couple of different recipes to make sure I knew what the flavor was supposed to be (because who knows which recipe the ice cream used to base their flavor around?) 

And once I had a good idea of both the flavor and texture, it was time to translate it into cookie form. Which was an adventure in itself, resulting in many, many failed attempts before I figured out the secret. If Gabby's parents had seen my kitchen, they likely wouldn't have allowed me to keep trying! 

Luckily, my family knows that sometimes even the failed baking attempts that come out of my cookie kitchen can be delicious, even if they don't look good. They love sampling my mistakes!

These Gooey Butter Cookies are addictive, and they have quickly become a family favorite. (My mom, who always insists that gluten-free baking will never be as good as "the real thing," even asked me to make a batch for her for Christmas!)  

After writing and sharing my review for GABBY TORRES IS THE BEST WINNER EVER, I did, in fact, Google to find a recipe for Sugar Cream Pie, and I haven't made one yet, but it looks like it could be the pie version of the original cake version of this cookie! 

Gooey Butter Cookies

Butter Cookies:

2 c. butter

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

4 c. gluten-free all-purpose flour

Gooey Butter Topping:

¼ c. light corn syrup

1 Tbsp. water

2 tsp. vanilla extract

¾ c. butter

1 ¼ c. powdered sugar

½ tsp. salt

1 egg

¾ c. gluten-free all-purpose flour

Make the butter cookie dough: Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, salt, and vanilla, and mix slowly until fully combined, then increase mixer speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes.

Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, just to combine. Cover bowl and place in the fridge to chill while you mix up the topping.

Make the gooey butter topping: In a glass measuring cup, microwave butter 10-20 seconds at a time until half-melted. Remove from microwave and stir to finish melting (butter should be melted, but not hot—if it gets too hot, let it cool for a bit before proceeding). Pour into large mixing bowl. Add corn syrup, water, vanilla, salt, sugar, and egg. Gradually beat in gluten-free flour and mix well.

Scoop dough into 1-inch balls. Place each ball into a paper or silicone cupcake liner on a large baking sheet (Don’t skip this step! The cupcake liners keep the gooey filling from spilling out on the tray before the cookies have time to set properly.) Press the back of a round teaspoon measuring spoon into the center of each to create a space for the filling. Scoop about a teaspoon of filling into the center of each cookie. Chill for 30 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator.

Bake* at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 9 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes on tray before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

*Optional: After chilling, bake just a few cookies & freeze the extras for 2-4 hours. Once frozen, transfer cookie dough (in cupcake liners) to a large freezer bag and return to your freezer. You can bake straight from frozen at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes. Freshly-baked cookies anytime you want!

This recipe pairs well with GABBY TORRES IS THE BEST WINNER EVER by Angela Dominguez.

Printable PDF Recipes