The undeniably intoxicating smell of butter vaporizing wafts out of the oven to waltz with your nostrils. As your brain connects the pieces, your stomach starts to whimper. Emerging from the oven, your fingers are willed to grab but you wait. They must cool. Just a little bit.
Eating these cookies, I wish that yum could be a more clear description. I wish that when I said yum, you saw the look of satisfaction on my face, the release that it gives my shoulders, the not forced “mmm” sound as the cookie mingles with my taste buds. That is what yum is. That is what these are.
This recipe was the first one I tried from Blog Aid, or rather the first one I adapted (I created 2 of them after all ;D). The original recipe was from Lottie + Doof but I made it gluten-free, obviously =D. It’s simple, the dough could be a meal in itself and the finished cookies are exactly what you would want a shortbread to be. Mine are a tad bit darker than a typical white shortbread, but that’s just because of the whole grain flours!
This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.
Gluten-Free Shortbread
Adapted from Lottie + Doof. Adapted by Lauren of Celiac Teen.
Ingredients
1/3 cup millet flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 cup salted butter, softened
sugar, optional
Steps
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or not, if you’re out).
Whisk together dry ingredients. Add butter and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft, smooth dough forms. It does take a little while, but just keep stirring and a dough will emerge.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and space them 1-1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Using a glass or fork, flatten the balls into cookies.
Sprinkle with sugar if desired, then bake for 12 to 18 minutes until set but not yet browned.
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the round shape! They look perfect!
Not only do they look perfect, they look perfectly "YUM". And, the photos are just amazingly cozy and really sell the warmth and crumb of these. I'll be trying these within the next 24 hours, I'm not kidding.
I really like your description – and your photos! Shortbread is not my favorite kind of cookie, but having them with tea sounds good!
I spent a semester on Scotland, and shortbread is one of my favorite desserts. There was a brand there (can't remember what it was called) that was the best shortbread I have ever had. None of the other brands compared, and I have a feeling that a gluten free version like this might actually get closer to that taste than the typical shortbread recipe. Now I just have to convince myself to go back to Chinatown for more sweet white rice flour.
They look gorgeous Lauren!!
Shortbread is divine…reminds me of trips to the UK. They look scrumptious.
Sounds delish! Plus super cool, new flours to try. What is xanthum gum? I know it's a Vegan food thing. SO many recipes seem to call for it. I've never used it tho. Looking forward to trying it out. 🙂
@Heather Xanthan gum is a binder. It's gluten-free and you can find it at your health food store =D.
Lauren
Shortbread, my favorite. I will have to try these and all the other recipes in your e-book. Just got it and it's amazing. I don't know where I was when you put it out in February?? Since I got off Twitter I'm out of the loop. 🙂
Yum — shortbread! It will get my attention any time. I do have the rice flour, but not the others. My regular market finally got xanthan gum and I just about fell over when I saw the cost, then wondered if the price had been boosted because they deemed it a specialty item. Any ideas since it's not something I keep in my pantry?
@kellypea Xanthan gum binds it and can be replaced 1 for 1 with guar gum, but if you don't have any, you could leave it out. Your finished product may just be a bit more crumbly.
Mmm these shortbread look gorgeous! Love your photos!
These are so cute! I love shortbread, it has such an… honest flavour (I don't know how else to put it).
Lauren, nice cookies, would love to have them with a cup of tea 🙂
I've tried shortbread gluten-free, and never got it to come out quite right. Thanks for the recipe. I'll be sure to try it and let you know how it turns out!
I saw "yum" everywhere in this blog, not just in this particular post…. hmmm the fact is, who could resist these tempting shortbread? 🙂
Sawadee from bangkok,
Kris
So lovely, Lauren. I just love shortbread. I'm thinking I can sub my rice flour mix for the total of sorghum and cornstarch (as it already contains cornstarch). I'll let you know, but I need my own stack of those cookies. 😉
Shirley
Wow! These look incredible!
Do you think coconut flour would work as a substitute for all the flours? And I can't have cornstarch or xantham gum. Do you know of any substitutes for these?
Thanks!
I just found a recipe for Samoas Girl Scout cookies–now I have a gluten free short bread recipe for the cookie part I'll have to make them!
@freetofeast I'm not sure. I've never worked with coconut flour, but you could definitely give it a go!
My husband would love these cookies. Sorry if I missed it in your post, did you use a cookie scoop? If so, what size scoop makes 1 inch balls?
Hi Sue! No, I don’t use a cookie scoop, though I’m sure you could if you wished. Just a spoon and my hands, eyeballing it.
Yum! Looking for the ‘perfect’ cookie to take to our Gluten Free Friends Cookie exchange this weekend … these look delightful!
I often add 1/4 C coconut flour in a recipe that calls for ~ 2 C flour total – it is high in soluble fibre, so you need to add a bit more moisture. I would use about 2 T in this recipe, substituting it for part another flour.
Carob powder is another binder, & nice in recipes that call for chocolate (either in addition or on its own), as it will make the final product darker. It is also sweet, so you can reduce sugar in a recipe containing Carob (which is ground from a seed from the legume family, so naturally gluten free).