Gluten Free Christmas Cookies with Holiday Cutouts
Cool completely on cookie racks before frosting .
Gluten Free Christmas Cookies
Adapted from Gluten Free Baking by Culinary Institute
This sugar cookie recipe we found and adapted is great for making cookie cutouts with or without icing for all our different holiday celebrations!
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 C butter, cold unsalted CUT into small cubes
1/4 C sugar
1 1/4 C Gluten Free 123, Pamela’s Artisan, or your favorite GF flour blend
1 egg ( blended)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract (optional) Lemon is our family’s favorite, but there are many other flavors one can add, get creative! Peppermint, orange, almond…
Extra gluten free flour for rolling out dough.
Tools: Food Processor or hand pastry blender, rolling pin and something to roll dough onto.
Favorite mats for rolling out cookie or pie dough: Silpat or muslin pastry cloth, both excellent choices for your baking needs and both under $20.
Instructions
Using a food processor or a pastry blender, blend butter cubes with flour and sugar. Once the flour resembles small pea sized bits then add the egg and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Dough will be a bit sticky.
Place cookie batter in parchment paper and seal in a zip-lock. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or up to 2 days
Roll out cookie dough onto your floured work place. A *Silpat, muslin cloth, or marble cutting board all work great., Also remember to flour your rolling pin, and cookie cutters prior to rolling and cutting. Dough gets sticky. Cut dough into desired shapes.
Bake 8 min in a pre-heated 400 degree oven OR lower temp at 350 degrees for 10-12 min.
Check cookies half way through cookie to make sure oven temp is correct and cookies are not burning.
Cool completely on cookie racks before frosting .
Store UN-frosted cookies together and frosted ones in a separate tin or air tight container. Once frosted the cookies will become softer. I suggest frosting when ready to eat or share. Also fun for the kids to frost, no matter what age!
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 2 hours
Decorating Frosting/Icing
- Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 C unsifted powdered sugar
3 Tbl. milk
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
1/4–1/2 tsp lemon extract or peppermint (optional)
Instructions
Mix well. Keep refrigerated until ready to use or to store leftovers.
To add in the food dye/coloring powders, use about 1/4 tsp of the powder with 1/4 cup of the icing and mix together. If you want a richer/darker color, add a little more food coloring/powder until desired color is achieved.
Also you can make a simple glaze with just milk, powdered sugar and flavoring of choice. Mix enough milk into equal parts powdered sugar to make the glaze. This glaze will harden as well. Adding more milk will thin the frosting. Sprinkles are a pretty addition!
Natural Food Dye/Coloring Using Food:
- Blue = blue algae aka. spirulina powder
- Green = matcha powder or chlorophyl drops
- Red = freeze dried beets, ground up into powder or beetroot powder
- Prep Time: 20 min