Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies (Cut-Out or Drop Cookies)

Name: Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies (Cut-Out or Drop Cookies)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 18
Ingredients: 3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (with xanthan gum, see Notes); ¾ teaspoon fresh baking powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; 8 ounces unsalted butter (at room temperature); 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg (at room temperature, lightly beaten); 1 tablespoon whole milk; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 8 ounces unsalted butter (at room temperature); 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 16 ounces powdered sugar (plus more as desired); ¼ teaspoon salt; 4 tablespoons whole milk (or heavy cream); food coloring (optional); sanding sugar; shaped sprinkles; nonpareils; jimmies; edible glitter

Prep 30 min Cook 10 min Serves 18 Source

Ingredients

3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (with xanthan gum, see Notes)
¾ teaspoon fresh baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg (at room temperature, lightly beaten)
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounces unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
16 ounces powdered sugar (plus more as desired)
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons whole milk (or heavy cream)
food coloring (optional)
sanding sugar
shaped sprinkles
nonpareils
jimmies
edible glitter

Steps

1
Add 3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon fresh baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt to sifter, then sift ingredients into medium bowl. If needed, return ingredients to sifter and repeat. Set bowl aside.
2
Add 8 ounces unsalted butter (at room temperature) and 1 cup granulated sugar to large mixing bowl. Use hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with beater attachment to cream butter and sugar together until fully combined, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Mixture should be pale in color and fluffy. Use silicone spatula to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
3
Add 1 large egg (lightly beaten), 1 tablespoon whole milk, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract to bowl. Mix until all ingredients are just combined.
4
Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add small amounts of flour mixture to butter mixture, incorporating dry ingredients completely before adding more. Once all flour mixture has been added to butter mixture, mix until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.
5
Turn off mixer and set aside. Lay two large sheets of wax paper on flat work surface. Divide dough into two equal halves and transfer one half of dough onto each sheet of wax paper.
6
Wrap each half of dough completely in wax paper. Place fully-wrapped dough halves in refrigerator and chill 2 hours.
7
Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit and position racks so that cookie sheet(s) can sit in center of oven. Lightly grease cookie sheet(s) with unsalted butter or neutral cooking spray, then set cookie sheet(s) aside. Sprinkle powdered sugar over flat work surface and rolling pin.
8
Remove one wrapped dough half from refrigerator. Unwrap and discard wax paper, and place dough on dusted work surface. Roll cookie dough out until entire sheet of dough is uniformly ¼-inch thick. See Notes below for rolling tips.
9
Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes. Place shaped dough on prepared cookie sheet and repeat, leaving 1-inch minimum between dough shapes on cookie sheet(s). Combine dough scraps and roll flat when possible to form additional cookies.
10
When no additional cookies can be cut from dough, place cookie sheet(s) in refrigerator and chill shaped cookies while repeating process with other half of cookie dough. Incorporate scraps from first half of cookie dough into second half of dough before rolling.
11
Once all dough has been cut into shaped cookies, place cookie sheet(s) in preheated oven. Bake cookies 5 minutes, then begin checking doneness. Check cookies every 60 seconds and remove cookie sheet(s) from oven as soon as bottom edges just begin to brown. Exact bake times will vary - be very careful not to over-bake.
12
Once bottom edges of cookies begin to brown, remove cookie sheet(s) from oven and set aside. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet(s) 2 minutes, then use spatula to carefully transfer cookies to wire cooling racks. Let cookies rest on cooling racks until completely cooled.
13
Add 8 ounces unsalted butter (softened) and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract to medium mixing bowl. Using hand mixer with beater attachments or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and vanilla extract together on medium-low speed until fully combined, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with silicone spatula as needed.
14
Sift 16 ounces powdered sugar into bowl in increments, mixing on low speed after each addition until sugar is incorporated into butter. Once all sugar has been added, add ¼ teaspoon salt and mix until incorporated.
15
Scrape down sides of bowl with silicone spatula as needed. Set mixer to medium speed and add 4 tablespoons whole milk in 1-tablespoon increments, fully incorporating each tablespoon before adding more, until desired consistency is achieved. If needed, mix in additional powdered sugar to thicken frosting.
16
Optional: If using food coloring, add desired amount of coloring and mix until fully incorporated, adding more coloring as needed to achieve desired results.
17
Transfer prepared frosting into piping bag and pipe onto completely-cooled cookies. Alternately, use offset spatula to dollop small amounts of frosting onto each cookie and spread frosting over cookie to cover.
18
If desired, top frosted cookies with sanding sugar, shaped sprinkles, nonpareils, jimmies, edible glitter, or other decorations of choice. Let frosted cookies stand 3 to 5 minutes or until buttercream frosting is slightly set, then serve cookies as desired.