Yields: About 24 cookies, depending on size
Prep time: 15 minutes + chilling time
Cook time: 8-10 minutes
Ingredients:
- Gluten-free flour blend: 2 ½ cups (use a quality blend with xanthan gum included; if not, add 1 teaspoon)
- Baking powder: 1 teaspoon
- Salt: ½ teaspoon
- Unsalted butter: 1 cup (2 sticks), softened at room temperature
- Granulated sugar: 1 cup
- Large eggs: 2
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
Equipment:
- Large and medium bowls
- Whisk
- Electric mixer (stand or handheld)
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters (optional)
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone mats
- Wire cooling rack
Instructions
Make the Dough:
- Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Mix in dry ingredients: Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- Chill the dough: Divide the dough in half, shape into discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
Roll, Cut, and Bake:
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Roll the dough: On a lightly floured surface (use gluten-free flour), roll out one chilled dough disc to ¼-inch thickness. If the dough becomes too soft, pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes.
- Cut out cookies: Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. If you don’t have cookie cutters, use a glass to create circles.
- Transfer to baking sheets: Carefully place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.
- Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Cool: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorating (Optional):
- Royal icing: Decorate with your favorite royal icing recipe.
- Sprinkles & sugars: Add sprinkles before baking or decorate with colored sugars.
- Simple glaze: Mix powdered sugar with a little milk or lemon juice for an easy glaze.
Tips
- Room temperature ingredients: Using room temperature butter, eggs, and vanilla will help your ingredients form the perfect batter.
- Chilling time: Chilling prevents the cookies from spreading too much and helps them hold their shape.
- Don’t overbake: Check your cookies early to make sure they don’t become too hard.
