Gluten free sugar cookies Recipe

Valentine's Day is coming soon and I have spent the last 2 weeks trying different gluten free sugar cookie recipes. It wasn't nearly as easy as I had hoped, but I found a good recipe and tweaked it just a tad. I will share it with you below, but first let me tell you the hardest part about sugar cookies is the making the icing. You need one thinner frosting for the base color and a thicker (royal) frosting for outlines and decorations... I just couldn't seem to get either consistency right and decided that this whole thing just wasn't meant for me.

People always praise me with being like "Martha Stewart" and that I can do or make anything. Well, number one they are exaggerating and two I am not a quitter. So...my quest for the perfect gluten free sugar cookie continued. Four dozen cookies later and I think I finally have the right combination. My husband who is not gluten free can't stop eating them!

Check out my finished cookies below.

   I wish I could take credit for the cute owl and ladybug designs, but I found them online.

   They are almost too cute to eat!!

Sugar Cookie Recipe 

     1 cup sugar                                                              

     1/2 cup butter, softened                                      

     1 large egg

     1 T. water or milk

     1 teaspoon vanilla

     1/2 teaspoon almond extract

     1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your flour has it already)

     2  cups gluten free all purpose flour (I use King Arthur)

     Powdered sugar for rolling and dusting

Instructions

1. In large bowl cream sugar and butter on medium speed
2. Add the egg, water, vanilla and salt
3. Add the xanthan gum if using and the flour
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours
5. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
6. Roll out dough on surface dusted with powdered sugar, roll to about 1/4 inch thick
7. Cut out cookies with cutters and place on cookie sheet, making sure cookies don't touch
8. Bake 10-12 minutes 
9. Remove for oven, let cookies cool 5 mins before removing them to a cooling rack
10. Cool completely before decorating. Store in airtight container up to 5 days.

I like the flavor of almond extract in my cookies, others prefer to use only vanilla and some like a little lemon extract for flavoring. Choose your favorite and let me know how they turn out!

    Thanks and Happy Valentine's Day!

    Val