Sugar Cookies

Baby its cold outside!  Every time I'd start to sing those lyrics, the Babe would complain, and thought I made them up.  I explained the lyrics are older than I am.  They are definitely appropriate.  We haven't gone anywhere for a few days due to sub-zero windshields.  Today the air temperature reached the teens, so I felt it was time to bundle up and head out.  Where did we go on our big adventure?  Just to Walmart.  I didn't really need anything, but besides a few grocery items, the Babe got some stickers, and we got some more cookie cutters. 

I have a decent amount of cookie cutters now (even before today's trip), so that means I should be making cookies, right?  I may have mentioned certain cooking/baking issues have intimidated me in the past, even though they really aren't a big deal once conquered.  That would include handling ground beef (what do you do with the fat after browning...yeah, got that one), raw chicken (major ick factor for the first five years of my marriage, but now no big deal), and anything involving a rolling pin. 

While sugar cookies are delicious when made with real butter, eggs, and wheat flour, I didn't know how they would come out once you took away the butter, the eggs, and yes, the wheat flour.  Gluten free baking is tricky, and anything vanilla-based can get "interesting" (slang for yeah, we knew it wasn't the real thing before more than a dot of it crossed our lips, and debating if we should swallow it or brush our teeth to get rid of the aftertaste). 

Anyhow, we did make sugar cookies.  We made the dough yesterday and baked one batch.  We made the rest today.  The Babe had fun using the cookie cutters, and enjoyed our creations.  There is a slight after-taste, but they aren't bad.  That means edible, and I'll have a second, thank you.  I think they need to be frosted, which might cut the aftertaste, but I haven't done that yet.  I know this description must be really inspiring, and make you want to run out and try some.  So, just in case you can get past my waxing lyrical here about the aftertaste, here's my recipe for Gluten-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free sugar cookies.

Gluten-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free Sugar Cookies
3/4 cup margarine (prefer Earth Balance Buttery Stick)

1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp ground flax meal + 6 Tbsp warm water
½ Tbsp vanilla extract
¾ C Sorghum Flour
¾ C Brown Rice Flour
¼ C Tapioca Starch
¼ C Potato Starch
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp xantham gum
1 tsp salt
Additional 1-2 Tbsp of Rice flour


In the bowl of a mixer combine margarine, sugar, flax-water mix, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until all ingredients are fully combined (a few minutes).

In a separate bowl, blend sorghum, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, baking powder, xantham gum, and salt. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix on low speed until well incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. The dough can be refrigerated for up to a day.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove dough from refrigerator. Take a handful of the dough about the size of a baseball and make into a ball. Set the ball of dough on a floured surface (using 1-2 Tbsp Rice Flour). Roll out the dough so that it is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut dough into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cut-out shapes onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8 minutes or until cookies are done. If frosting, let cook for about an hour. Otherwise, eat when cookies are cool enough to handle.