Non-Gritty, Totally Non-Weird Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies You Can Serve Your Friends

I am gluten-free. I don't test as allergic to the stuff, but my holistic health care provider back in Georgia helped me with an elimination diet that revealed the probable cause of all of my health concerns (My regular doctor suspected Lyme Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, any array of auto-immune disease and drew buckets of blood, stuck needles in my spine, and scanned my brain until I flouresced. Well, pretty much. And it all came back clear. I was diagnosed with "fibromyalgia" and sent on my way to suffer). 

Being gluten-free sucks sometimes. I mean, the bread? Horrid. And every baked good has a weird, gritty texture. It is not a fun thing, this gluten-free business. 

So Christmas comes around and I want to eat nummies. Not grit. I played with this recipe (which was not great as-is) until it rocked my socks, and I present to you, Non-Gritty, Totally Non-Weird, Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies You Can Serve Your Friends. Ahem. Official name. Copyright: Me. 

Non-Gritty, Totally Non-Weird, Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies You Can Serve Your Friends

See my starlight mint platter? 

They're a little like Lofthouse Cookies. Enjoy. 

total time spent: about an hour
cost to me: about $10
craftiness level: beginner to intermediate

Cookie Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups (start with 3, save an extra cup for later) gluten-free flour blend 
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plus 3 T butter at room temperature
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• almost 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• a dash of salt (don't leave it out)

Directions:

1. Heat your oven to 350F. Set two cookie sheets aside with parchment paper on each. 
2. Combine flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, and powdered sugar in a bowl and set it aside. 
3. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in another, large, mixing bowl. 
4. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. When it's all mixed in, judge your consistency. I added an extra cup of flour AND a few extra tablespoons of powdered sugar. 
5. Form your dough into a ball and roll it out to 1/4"-ish thickness between two sheets of parchment paper that's thoroughly covered in powdered sugar. Don't skip that! This dough is sticky!
6. Cut it out how you like. Stick to simple shapes for best results. I used a 14 ounce can that I'd washed and saved. Place on the cookie sheets about an inch apart. They don't spread much at all. 
7. Bake six or seven minutes only. They will look undone. That's okay. You only want them to set, not brown. Remove to cooling racks to cool completely. 
8. For your frosting: While your cookies cool, beat butter, cream, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add the sugar a little at a time until you come to a good consistency. You can add food coloring here if you'd like. 
9. Spread on your cookies. Add sprinkles if you want. 

Nom them with your family and friends. See if they can tell the difference.