Gluten-Free Soft Vanilla Sugar Cookies

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

I used to make this recipe (using all-purpose flour instead of gluten-free) multiple times a week when I was a pastry chef at a wonderful restaurant called Grace. Every week I would make different ice creams and sorbets that were accompanied by a different flavor of cookie. I would find myself using this recipe a lot. This recipe delivers great flavor without being time-consuming.

I have used this base recipe for so many different flavor combinations, such as rosemary/pine nut and Chinese five spice. It’s able to take on different flavors without changing the texture or the integrity of the cookie. So when one of my followers, Monica, requested some gluten-free recipes, I knew that this recipe would be just as wonderful, sans gluten.

So why eat gluten free? Well there are a ton of reasons! One of the big ones is having Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disease. Or, you could be gluten intolerant, or maybe you just want to stay away from excess carbs. Whatever the reason, gluten-free baked goods can still be tasty,

Here are some tips and tricks about baking gluten free:

Sifting Flour: Sifting flour is important for most baking projects, whether is it gluten free or not. It will add a lightness to your baked goods and give them a nice crumb. I always sift my flour for cookies and cakes to make sure there are no lumps in my flour. I also like to sift together as many of the dry ingredients that I can. For example, this recipe it calls for gluten-free flour, baking powder and salt to be added in the the recipe at the same time. I will sift all of the dry ingredients together to ensure there are no lumps, and everything is incorporated.

Types Of Gluten-Free Flour: There are a ton of gluten-free flours on the market. I usually use Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Baking Flour, but for this recipe I used King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour. Both work equally well, and I did not see any clear difference. I like to use the gluten-free flours that don’t involve adding anything else to them, so you can just substitute them in for your regular baking flour. Some gluten-free flours require you to add additional items like xanthan gum, which can be a little pricey.

Measuring gluten-free flour: This recipe calls for 2 3/4 cups of flour. Make sure to spoon the flour into your dry measuring cup and, using the backside of a butter knife, scrape the excess off of the top to make it flat. Knowing how to measure correctly is such an important part of baking. In a bakery or bakeshop, everything is measured by weight so that it is more accurate. If you are just baking at home, a scale probably isn’t something you have readily available, so making sure that you don’t pack your ingredients into your measuring cup will make your baked goods come out better.

I used a lemon buttercream, with a touch of yellow food coloring for brightness, to top off my cookies. You can also use a cream cheese frosting, like the one found here (add two teaspoons lemon extract and a few drops of food coloring to the recipe). I also sprinkled some nonpareils on top for the simple reason that they are adorable.