Gluten Free Vegan Sugar Cookies

I'll be honest, the main reason I made these vegan is because we were out of eggs in the house but the results are FANTASTIC! This is the one of the most perfect sugar cookies you will ever have the pleasure of gracing your tongue with, haha! The cookie itself is not overly sweet so it does not become excessively sugary when frosted and they maintain the perfect crunch while not being brittle or chalky.

So this cookie will be the first recipe I post of my holiday Christmas cookies and I hope you enjoy!

Vegan Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup potato flour
• 1 Tablespoon corn starch
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup shortening (you can also use another vegan butter alternative here if you wish)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (you can use soy or almond milk here as well, what ever you prefer, I advise choosing a milk that clearly indicates it is gluten free and has fewer "thickener" additives)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (Penzey's and Spice Island are both gluten free)
• 1/4 tsp almond extract

Directions:

1.  The simplest way to make this recipe is with a food processor but you can just as easier use a hand or stand mixer. 

2. Combine all dry ingredients (powdered sugar through cream of tartar) in food processor bowl and pulse till combined. 

3. Add shortening, vanilla and almond extracts and pulse till combined. Will be meal texture. 

4. Slowly add unsweetened coconut milk till dough is soft but not "wet."

5. Remove from bowl and shape into 4 flat patties. Seal in a plastic bag and place in fridge to chill for 30 minutes. 

6. Preheat oven to 350. Foil cookie sheet pans.  

7. Remove dough from fridge. Dust counter or cutting board with brown rice flour and roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters of preferred shape or shapes... Carefully move over to baking sheet using spatula. I sometimes run a flat knife under the cookie before lifting off the board to ensure its loose. 

8. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are just beginning to turn golden. 

9. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet, using spatula transfer to plate. 

Now for the icing... You can pretty much use whatever icing you prefer on these cookies but I decorated as such:

In a bowl combine 3 cups powdered sugar with a tablespoon of coconut milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Stir till thoroughly combined. You can add more sugar to make the frosting thicker or more coconut milk to make it thinner, be careful though, just a few drops of milk make the frosting thinner very quick so sneak up on it!

Once you cookies have cooled spread or decorate with frosting and then allow frosting to "dry" without stacking the cookies. I used pearl sugar to decorate the white star cookies I made because it was a safe, pretty, vegan, gluten free, dye free "sprinkle" or sorts. 

Enjoy! XOXO Happy Holidays! - Iris