By Donna&Danielle on October 31, 2015
Growing up holidays always included my mothers sugar cookies. They were my favorite! I loved helping to make them, decorate them and frost them. And I loved, loved to eat them! They were delicate, buttery and melted in your mouth. Holidays were not complete without them! That includes Halloween.
We are hosting a Pre-Trick-Or-Treat Dinner tomorrow night and these cookies are a non-negotiable after dinner treat! Since we are doing our best to eat a cleaner, healthier diet I decided that it was time to take a chance and clean them up. So with my fingers crossed I went to work.
I found Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour and decided try using it in place of white wheat flour. The baking flour is primarily made of rice flour. What is great is that by using this I didn’t have to buy a lot of different flours and ingredients to come up with a flour to use in this recipe. The dough was softer than usual but firmed up nicely in the refrigerator.
Powdered sugar is another major ingredient in these cookies. The best substitute I could find was an organic powdered sugar. It is less processed and is clumpier than traditional powdered sugar.
The result was amazing! Ken once again volunteered to take a chance and test them…. I had to wrestle the tray away from him so we had enough left to serve tomorrow night!
As for the decorating sugars, I will confess that they are refined sugar, but sometimes you just have to have a little sparkle!
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 ½ cups organic confectioners sugar
1 cup organic butter, softened at room temperature
1 egg (we use organic eggs)
2 ½ cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour (plus extra for rolling)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
Cookie sprinkles (optional)
Mix sugar and butter with a handheld or stand up mixer until creamy.
Add egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Mix until well combined and creamy.
Add dry ingredients a little at a time until thoroughly blended.
Place 4 large squares of wax paper or cling wrap on counter.
Dust the wax paper or cling wrap with a little four.
Spoon ¼ of the dough on each paper.
Dust your hands with flour and gently form each mound of dough into a ball.
Wrap each ball in the wax paper or cling wrap.
Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper ( I was out of parchment paper so I used non-stick foil and it worked great)..
Sprinkle your work surface with flour and begin with 1 ball of dough. (leave the rest in the refrigerator until you need them).
Roll the dough about 3/16 inch thick and cut it with you desired cookie cutters.
Sprinkle with decorating sugars (if desired) and bake for 7 – 10 minutes until delicately golden.
Watch them closely or they will burn.
Let them slightly cool before removing them from the baking sheet.
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