These gluten free vanilla sugar cookies tick all the boxes - they taste great, they're crunchy, and they don't crumble. Perfect for decorating and gifting!
¼teaspoonbaking powderoptional, leave out for even flatter cookies
125gbutterat room temperature
150gcaster sugar
2teaspoonsvanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 ½teaspoonslemon juiceoptional, see notes
1large eggat room temperature
Instructions
Sift together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum and baking powder, stir to combine and set aside.
Beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla extract or paste and lemon juice using a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer until combined and creamy. Don't beat for too long, the more air you add in here, the more your cookies will spread.
Beat in the egg until combined.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, beating until combined. If using a hand-held mixer, it's safer (and less messy!) to do this by hand with a spoon or spatula. If using a stand mixer, make sure once you are finished mixing in the flour, you give the dough a last stir by hand to make sure all ingredients are incorporated from the bottom of the bowl.
Depending on a few different factors, (including the type of flour you use and the temperature of your butter and eggs) the dough may be firm enough to roll out now, or you may need to chill it until it firms up a little. I just place the whole bowl in the fridge for 10-15 minutes while I tidy up.
Roll out the dough onto a large piece of non-stick baking paper to approximately 5mm thick (see notes below). If the dough is sticking to the rolling pin, lightly dust it with flour, or chill the dough for a few more minutes to firm it up.Once rolled, place another piece of baking paper on top, slide the dough onto a tray and refrigerate until firm.
When ready to bake, heat the oven to 160°C (320°F) and line baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.
Flip the piece of dough over, and gently peel the back piece of baking paper off the dough, then press it back down lightly (this makes it easier to pick up the shapes when you cut them as the dough is not stuck to the paper) then flip the dough back over and peel off the top piece of paper.
Cut out shapes, and place onto baking sheets about 1" apart. If the shapes are still firm and cold, you can bake them immediately, if they have softened then pop them back in the fridge for a few minutes to firm back up.
Bake the cookies for 12-16 minutes, depending on size. As a rough guide: 12 min for small cookies, 14 min for medium cookies and 16 min for large cookies. They should be beginning to brown slightly around the edges and be lightly golden underneath. Check the first tray after 12 minutes, and adjust the baking time from there.
Allow cookies to cool slightly on the trays, then carefully move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container and/or decorate as desired. They will keep well for at least a week. If you don't eat them all in one go!
To freeze the dough:Once you've mixed the dough, shape it into a flat square shape, wrap well in plastic wrap and seal in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. Thaw before rolling. You can also freeze the rolled out dough. After rolling, chill it in the fridge until firm, then place it, paper and all, into a large resealable plastic bag and freeze. The dough can be kept frozen for up to three months.
Notes
*Gluten free flour - Use a good quality gluten-free flour blend. If you want to make your own blend, I highly recommend my Gluten Free Flour Blend for Baking (it's the blend this recipe was tested with).**Xanthan gum - If you choose to use a packaged gluten-free flour blend, check the ingredients - if it contains a gum ingredient (usually xanthan gum or guar gum), then omit the xanthan gum from the recipe.Lemon juice - The lemon juice in this recipe is optional but it helps to reduce the cookie's spread, so I recommend using it.Rolling the dough - I like to use two 5mm thick wooden dowels as spacers on either side of the dough to roll it out evenly. A rolling pin with plastic spacers is also great.For extra flat cookies - gently press the tops down using a fondant smoother as soon as the cookies come out of the oven.