You’ve made sugar cookies for the kids, but no one will blame you for stealing a bite. Just a taste of the classic, buttery cookie will send you back to childhood and long summer days spent in the sun. But if you’re sensitive to gluten, it is unlikely you can enjoy this delicious dessert without consequences. That’s why this recipe uses a gluten-free alternative to white flour that creates a soft, delicate cookie that’s more delightful than the original. Frost these cut-outs as simply or as elegantly as you’d like. Be sure to include the kids in the preparations. They’ll get a kick out of decorating!
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Cookies
2-¾ cup gluten-free baking flour
1-¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Sparkling Sugar
Food coloring (optional)
1 – 2 cups sparkling sugar
Icing
Food coloring (optional)
1 – 2 Tbsp. milk
1 cup powdered sugar
Directions
- In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl, combine sugar and butter. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix until well combined.
- Roll dough into a large ball. Tightly wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Remove dough from fridge. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. (If dough has warmed, refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before proceeding.) Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place onto lined baking sheets, leaving an inch between each cookie.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until the edges just begin to turn brown, rotating baking sheets once halfway through. Let cookies cool before icing.
- Prepare the sparkling sugar and icing while cookies bake. Prepare the icing by whisking together milk and powdered sugar until fully incorporated. If using food coloring, divide icing into small containers and mix with 1-2 drops of coloring. Set aside.
- If using food coloring for sparkling sugar, separate sugar into ¼-cup portions, and mix each with 1-2 drops of desired coloring.
- Once cookies have cooled, frost with icing and sparkling sugar.