gluten-free roll-out cookies

Nibbling on the odd cinnamon star cookie now and then is an indulgence and a deviation from my general attempt at limiting wheat intake. However, avoiding wheat doesn’t mean that Christmas baking is off of the menu. A couple of Christmases ago I discovered a wonderful recipe for  gluten-free roll-out cookies from Gluten Free Gobsmacked that are a real treat. I use an assortment of tiny Christmas cookie cutters that are adorable on the plate and just the perfect size for sweet hit. A bit of colour-coordinating icing ties in nicely with my bright pink, blue, and green holiday decor.

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups gluten-free flour blend (I blend my own from two parts white rice flour, two-thirds part potato starch flour, and one-third part tapioca flour. This mix can be made in large quantities and kept on hand for baking.)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2-3 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Cream together shortening and sugar until fluffy.
3. Add one egg and beat together well for 2-3 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour mix, salt and baking powder. Add to creamed ingredients and mix until well incorporated.
5. Add 2 -3 Tablespoons of milk until perfect, non-sticky cookie dough is achieved.
6. Form two balls with the dough. Roll out one ball to 1/4″-1/3″ thickness. Cut with your favorite cookie cutter. (Repeat until all dough is used with both balls.)
7. Bake 6 -7 minutes until the edges just begin to brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire racks.
8. Decorate/frost as desired once cooled.

This recipe makes 2 1/2 dozen large cookies, or many more if using tiny cookie cutters like I do. I made some of the round cookies into lovely little sandwich cookies with a bit of the coloured icing between the cookies.