Soft Gluten Free Chocolate Cutout Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIES
6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, chopped
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 cups (245 g) high-quality all-purpose gluten-free flour (I like mock Better Batter or Better Than Cup4Cup with this recipe)
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
7 tablespoons (35 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I use Rodelle brand and buy it on amazon for a reasonable price)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (22 g) confectioners’ sugar
1 egg (60 g, out of shell) + 1 egg yolk (30 g) at room temperature, beaten
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) milk (any kind), at room temperature
FOR THE FROSTING
10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons meringue powder
3 1/2 cups (400 g) confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup (60 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I use Rodelle brand and buy it on amazon for a reasonable price)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
First, make the cookies. In a medium-size, heat-safe bowl, place the chopped butter and chopped chocolate. Heat, stirring occasionally, over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Continue to heat just until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool briefly.
In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar and whisk to combine well. Add the melted butter and chocolate, and mix to combine. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and milk, and mix to combine. The dough will be thick and relatively stiff. Knead with your hands if necessary to bring the dough together.Roll the dough between two sheets of unbleached parchment paper into a round a bit less than 1/3-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds of dough and place them about 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until just set (6 to 8 minutes). Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the butter, milk and vanilla, and mix on medium speed until combined. Turn the speed up to high and mix until creamy. Add the salt, meringue powder, about 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar and the cocoa powder. Mix slowly until the sugar is incorporated. Turn the mixer up to high and beat until it becomes uniformly thick. Add the rest of the confectioners’ sugar if necessary to thicken the frosting.
Once the cookies are completely cool, pipe or spoon a generous amount of frosting onto the top of half of the cookies, and spread into an even layer with a wide knife or offset spatula. Top with the remaining cookies, and allow to set at room temperature until the frosting hardens a bit. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.