If you are looking for a cookie that you can serve to your gluten intolerant family and friends, then look no further than these gluten-free cookies which are flavored with lemon and vanilla. With a buttery flavor and sandy texture, you won’t miss using traditional all-purpose flour.
To make the gluten-free cookies, you first make a dough with butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, lemon zest, eggs, and rice flour. Then, the dough gets chilled in the refrigerator until it firms up and is easy to roll out. After that, the dough is rolled out thinly, cut into cookies, and baked in the oven. While you could certainly enjoy the cookies as they are with a cup of tea or coffee, serving them on a platter dusted with powdered sugar makes them look especially beautiful for guests.
What are Gluten-free Cookies?
These gluten-free cookies are cookies that don’t include any wheat flour. Instead, they use rice flour which is naturally gluten-free and produces cookies with a sandy texture, similar to shortbread cookies. The flavor profile of the cookies is buttery with a hint of vanilla and lemon.
Pro Tips
- For the lemon zest, avoid zesting the white pith on the skin as it can be quite bitter.
- Have the butter softened and ready so that it is easy to incorporate into the dough.
- If you find that the dough has firmed up too much in the fridge, you can allow it to sit at room temperature to soften for a few minutes before rolling it out.
- You will be able to tell that the cookies are baked when they are golden on the bottoms and around their edges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Flour Can You Use for Gluten-free Cookies?
This recipe uses rice flour but many other cookie recipes will also use potato starch, arrowroot flour, or even cornstarch. Some flour brands also have their own gluten-free blends that you can replace regular flour with at a 1:1 ratio.
Can I Add Omit the Lemon in the Gluten-free Cookies?
Yes, if you don’t have lemons on hand, you could omit them and increase the vanilla. You could even replace the lemon zest with orange zest or lime zest.
Can I Decorate the Cookies?
Absolutely! Feel free to garnish the cookies with sprinkles or coarse sugar before baking them if preferred. You could also top them with royal icing or dip them in chocolate.
How to Store Gluten-free Cookies
These cookies will stay fresh at room temperature for up to a week if they are stored in a sealed container. Alternatively, you can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. In this case, you should avoid dusting them with powdered sugar before you serve them.
Ingredients
How to Make Gluten-Free Lemon Cookies
Add the rice flour and start by mixing it with a spatula. Then, knead it with your hands until a dough forms. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 3 hours.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with the sugar, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest until combined.
Cut the dough into cookies using a cookie cutter. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them in a 360 F (180 C) oven for 12 minutes.
Beat in the egg and egg yolks.
Once cooled, serve them on a platter dusted with powdered sugar.
Add the rice flour and start by mixing it with a spatula. Then, knead it with your hands until a dough forms. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 3 hours.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and roll it out.
Cut the dough into cookies using a cookie cutter. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them in a 360 F (180 C) oven for 12 minutes.
Once cooled, serve them on a platter dusted with powdered sugar.
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