Cut-Out Sugar Cookies {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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Kid-Style Cookie Decorating

Just in time for Christmas - sugar cookies!  Cookie making day is a great tradition in our home.  The kids look forward each year to all that dough rolling, cutting, decorating and, best of all, eating!  Of course, the scene must be set with just the right Christmas music playing - and Daddy has to wear his Santa hat.  To get the best fun vs. effort out of our time, I usually make the dough ahead of time so the kids can just jump in and start creating their edible art.

This cookie dough is extremely easy to work with so its great for kids!  And being the impatient chef that I am, my favorite part is that is does not require any chilling time in the fridge prior to rolling and cutting. 

A few notes on the ingredients: 

• For the shortening, you have a choice between Spectrum shortening or Earth Balance vegan butter sticks.  I've made it both ways, and didn't notice much difference in taste or texture.  The difference lies in the pre-cooked dough.  If you use the shortening, putting your dough in the fridge will turn it into a rock.  So if you make it the night before and refridgerate it, you'll need to take it out of the fridge at least an hour before working with it.  With the shortening option, you probably won't need to flour your work surface.  When using the vegan butter, you'll need just a light dusting of flour on your counter and roller.  The butter option fairs better in the fridge, but chilling is still not needed.
• For the flour mixture, if you don't have tapioca starch on hand, you can replace the tapioca with potato starch so that your flour mixture would be 1 ½ cups sorghum flour and 1 ½ cups potato starch.  The end result is very similar, but I like the flavor a little better with the combo.

Now onto the recipe . . .  

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

1 ½ cups sugar
¾ cup shortening (Spectrum Palm Shortening) or Earth Balance vegan butter sticks
1 ½ cups sorghum flour
¾ cup potato starch
¾ cup tapioca flour (also called tapioca starch)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
¼ cup applesauce
2 TBSP vanilla

Step 1 – Using a hand or stand mixer (my Sunbeam Heritage Series Mixmaster works great for this), cream together sugar and shortening (about 3 minutes).  This is an important step as it creates air bubbles so the cookies will rise as they cook.  To read more about creaming, check out this article.

Step 2 – In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum. 

Step 3 – To the creamed shortening/sugar, add applesauce and vanilla and mix in.  Add in dry ingredients and mix together till well combined.

Step 4 – With this recipe, there is no need to chill the dough.  Divide dough into workable sections.  This dough is remarkably easy to work with, but you still may need to lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin.  Roll out dough to about ¼ inch thick (thinner dough will create crispy cookies).  Using your favorite cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place on cookie sheet lined with either a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Step 5 – Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes.  The cookies will look like they need to stay in the oven a few more minutes, but don't be tempted.  Take them out of the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.  Enjoy as is, or decorate with icing (see recipe below).   These cookies stay fresh and yummy for several days in a sealed plastic bag.

NOTE:  In case you want to make the dough a few days before cooking making, this dough faired just fine wrapped in plastic wrap in my fridge for several days.  Just be sure you leave yourself time to let the dough come to room temp or you'll have a rather hard ball of dough.

For the cookie icing . . .

⅓ cup shortening
pinch of salt
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 TBSP dairy-free milk

Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together until well combined.  I then put a scoop of icing into several seperate plastic sandwich bags and, using food coloring, make several colors of icing. When ready to decorate, cut a very small hole in the corner of each bag so you (or the kids) can squeeze out the colored icing onto your cookies.  Loads of fun!

Crushed candy cane pressed onto the top of these cookies prior to baking is also quite yummy!

This recipe is being shared at Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Better Mom Monday, Gluten Free Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Wheat Free Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, Gluten Free Fridays, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Food on Friday,