GFCF Sugar Cookies with Vegan Icing

You may recall that I was having slight panic over what to make for the Valentine’s Day parties for my boys. I tried a new recipe in the 11^th hour, which is always a huge risk with the GFCF diet. Guess what? The cookies were a huge hit! Since the boys have asked me to make them again, I figured I had better share the recipe with you!

First, I located a GFCF sugar cookie recipe at As Good As Gluten. Then, I found a vegan icing recipe at In My Vegan Life. I put the recipes together and came up with a wonderful and super tasty creation.

I am including both recipes for you here, with the modifications I made.

GFCF Sugar Cookies

1/2 CUP dairy-free butter (I used Earth Balance soy-free spread)
1 CUP organic granulated sugar
1 organic egg or egg substitute equivalent
1 TSP gluten-free vanilla extract
1 1/3 CUP gluten-free all purpose flour blend (I used Bob’s Red Mill brand)
1/2 TSP xanthan gum
1/2 TSP baking powder
1/2 TSP cream of tartar
1/2 TSP sea salt
organic powdered sugar for rolling cookie dough out

Directions:

In a stand mixer, cream together dairy-free butter and organic sugar until smooth. Add egg or egg substitute and gluten-free vanilla, mixing well. In a medium bowl, sift together gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, cream of tartar and sea salt. While mixing on medium speed, gradually add dry ingredient mixture to creamed mixture. Chill dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a surface dusted with powdered sugar, roll chilled cookie dough out to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into desired shape. Place on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned on the edges. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes then remove to a wire cooling rack.

Makes approximately 24 cookies.

This batch got a little overdone for my taste.
It made the cookies very crispy.

Vegan Icing

1 CUP organic powdered sugar
2-4 TBS coconut milk (or other preferred dairy-free milk)
1/2 TSP gluten-free vanilla extract
all natural red food coloring (I used Select brand, which is made from red beets)
sprinkles, if desired (I used Let's Do Sprinkelz brand)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients until smooth and spreadable. Add coloring until desired shade is achieved.

The icing will be quite runny. I mixed the icing in a shallow bowl and then dipped the cookie upside-down into it, twisting it back and forth for even coverage. Then I held the cookie for a few seconds over the bowl to allow the excess icing to drip off, immediately placing it right-side up onto a wire rack. I added sprinkles on top of the icing while it was still wet. Any remaining excess icing then dripped off the edges of the cookies and through the wire rack as the icing set. It took 30-60 minutes for the icing to harden to the touch enough for handling and stacking.

These cookies were not only pretty to look at, but they were a sweet treat without the worry of allergens or chemical ingredients. I highly recommend you give them a try! Let me know how they turn out.