Gluten Free Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (115 g) all purpose gluten free flour (I like Better Batter here), plus more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
3 tablespoons (27 g) cornstarch (if you’re using Cup4Cup or a similar high-starch blend, use more all purpose gf flour in place of the cornstarch)
1/4 cup (20 g) unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup (58 g) confectioners’ sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar and salt, and whisk to combine well. Add the butter, and stir to combine. The dough will be crumbly at first. Continue mixing until the dough has begun to darken in color. With lightly floured hands, knead the cookie dough until it comes together and becomes smooth.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, and sprinkle the top lightly with flour. Roll out the dough until it’s about thickness of a graham cracker. Flour a cookie cutter of your choice, and cut out shapes from the dough. Loosen the shapes from the surface with a bench scraper or large flat knife. Place the shapes about 1 inch apart from one another on the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer to chill until firm (about 5 minutes). Gather and reroll the scraps, and repeat the process.
Place the chilled cutouts in the center of the preheated oven and bake until just set, 8 to 11 minutes, depending upon size. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet until firm, at least 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing or dusting with optional confectioners’ sugar.
This recipe was originally published in 2012. Recipe unchanged, method revised slightly and photos and video all new.