Looking for a nice lightly sweeten seasonal treat? Try this Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie.
There’s a slight twist from the Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie recipe I created for a school contest. The Department of Nutrition held a Seasonal Cultural Cookie Contest in 2022 at my attending college Cedar Crest. You had to produce your favorite seasonal (fall or winter) recipe of cookies or small, sweet treat. There was the additional introduction of a short story explaining how it represented my culture and heritage or favorite food memory. The recipe evaluation was based on its diversity/uniqueness, flavor, and contest guideline adherence. Well, it took twenty-four hours, and three attempts to create this recipe prior to the contest deadline. For someone who prefers cooking over baking, finding out that my Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie was a winner left me ecstatic.
I enjoyed a particular store-bought brand called Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies in a round blue tin. There was an assortment of shapes such as full crescent, round, oblong, and pretzel shaped. It contained cookies with a nice crisp buttery taste. On top of most were addictive crystalized sugar sprinkles. The crystallized sugar topped ones were my usual first pick out of the bunch. It is one of my favorite food memories because my mother and father would always bring it home as a treat.
This recipe is a twist on my childhood food memory. The added variation of using gluten free flour is wanting my daughter to enjoy them. She was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called celiac disease. When consuming food items containing gluten it causes a reaction of inflammation in the small intestinal lining. In time this can lead to malabsorption and other medical complications. This is my first gluten free baked goods that I have created from scratch. Stepping out of my comfort zone to create and prepare gluten free food is an unfamiliar territory. It was a way of being able to share a recipe with my daughter that she can enjoy.
The cookie should be slightly crisp on the outside, bottom lightly brown, along with light brown edges. There is a light snap, moist on the inside yet still crumbly. A sugar cookie with a sweetness that is not overpowering. Why the odd yield number? Let’s just say consider it a treat for the baker. No one will know you sneaked a cookie. 😊
Butter: Land O Lake brand, unsalted is used to control the level of salt.
Egg: It creates volume for the cookie while being a binder. One large was the best portion for this recipe.
Honey: Enhances the light sweetness of the granulated sugar while adding a slight floral note. Golden Blossom brand is premium pure US Grade A.
Sugar: Domino brand granulated white is used in this recipe. Any granulated white brand will do.
Salt: Morton’s natural sea salt, its fine textured and good for baking.
Pure vanilla extract: vanilla gives it an extra flavor that is not too intense.
Vanilla bean paste: Add a light vanilla taste with added visual appeal from the black speckles.
Baking powder: Rumford brand was choice to go with since it is gluten free double acting.
Flour: King Arthur Gluten-free Measure to Measure is the preferred brand to use. It contains a binding ingredient called xanthan gum.
Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- 1 mini scoop
- 3.5 cup mini KitchenAid food processor
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sugar for topping
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste with seeds
- 1 cup gluten-free Measure-to-Measure flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set it aside.
- In a mini food processor combine egg, honey, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste, and vanilla extract. Pulse 5 times. Add flour, baking soda, and butter. Pulse on “chop” mode, for about 1 minute, using rubber spatula halfway through to push down flour on inside of container. The batter will be smooth and slightly thick.
- Remove inner blade from processor, use mini scoop to remove dough batter making sure it leveled off. Place individual scoops about 1 to 1 ½ inches apart on prepared baking tray. Batter will spread.
- Place into oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, lightly sprinkle with sugar that was set aside. Then allow cookie to cool on baking tray for 10 minutes before serving.
For those completely restricted from gluten or are just gluten sensitive this will be a great snack. Enjoy the crisp crystalized sugar cookie. It may be a new winter treat addition to your holiday menu. What is your favorite childhood winter cookie or sweet treat you’ve recreated?